Home Sweet Home
by Wingleader Sora Jade
Summary: Everyone splits for the summer and heads to the far corners of the earth. China, USA, France... And Duke meets a group of girls he'll never forget. (Complete!) Everyone's home now, but things have changed...
1. To The Far Corners of the Earth

Home, Sweet Home 

by WSJ 

WSJ: *grins* Actually, I've only just finished writing YoTU:F chapter 8. Of course, you won't see this for a long, long time, but the recent balmy weather in my area has put me in the mood to start this, even though YoTU:F isn't even close to being done. ^^v 

Bakura: >.> SJ.... You scare me.... 

WSJ: :p I scare a lot of people Bakura-chan! On to the fic! 

Disclaimer: YuuGiOh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi-sama. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko... I dunno how to spell her last name. ^^; But it ain't me. Lisa, Amoura, Yunet, and Amoura's family belongs to Brood Mayran. However, Gwen, Hiro, Scott, and various others are mine. Raiden-san is mine too, although his parents, only briefly mentioned, are not. 

This is the fifth story in my series **Tales of the Child of Fate**, and takes place after my previous fics, _Visions of the Heart, All Saints Night, Sacrifice of Shadows,_ and_ The Yamis of Tokyo U: Freshmen_. 

This is also a crossover with Sailor Moon, but if you aren't familiar with it then don't worry, because I'll be doing my best to explain everything about them as we go along. No SM knowledge whatsoever is needed. ^~ If you _are_ familiar with Sailor Moon, then I'll let you know that the timeline for this is the beginning of the Sailor MoonS season, just as the Death Busters come into power. 

It also contains trace elements of Ranma 1/2, especially where Bandit Keith and Ryou are concerned, and Fushigi Yuugi where Serenity, Scott, and Joey are concerned, but not enough to consider it a crossover. ^~ Again, no prior knowledge is needed. There are also going to be many, many, _many_ guest appearances by other misc. anime. Way too many to name. ^~ Suffice to say I own none of them, and none of them except SM will be major. ;p 

~"...."~ speech in English 

^"...."^ speech in French 

"...." speech in Japanese 

_~...~ ^...^ "..."_ written words in the various languages 

/..../ hikari to yami 

//....// yami to hikari 

()()()()() 

Home, Sweet Home 

Chapter 1: To the Far Corners of the Earth 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

"How many times do I have to tell you? DON'T SMOKE AROUND THE FIREWORKS!"  
~(Recca, Flame of Recca) 

"What's this do?" 

Gwen blinked and looked over toward where Malik was delightedly fiddling with the switch that turned the overhead reading light on and off. She sighed, and shared a quiet chuckle with Hiro. The three of them were on a plane, well on their way to Gwen's home in California, where they'd be spending the summer. Ishtar was currently in his soulroom, making just one less plane ticket for them to buy. 

Ever since arriving at Tokyo International Airport, Malik had been acting rather like a little kid. He'd been wide-eyed most of the way, and was continually poking things to see what they did. He was the flight attendant's worse nightmare. So far he'd inflated his emergency life vest (and Gwen's), caused all the oxygen masks in the cabin to come down, creating a mild panic, and had tried to hit on the stewardess. When Gwen had gotten up to go to the bathroom, she'd heard a couple of the flight attendants talking to the captain, calling Malik the "passenger from Hell". 

"Haven't you ever been on a plane before?" Hiro finally asked, leaning over Gwen to look at Malik. 

The Egyptian bishonen chuckled. "Nope. When Isis and Rashid and I came over from Egypt, it was by boat. Hey, what's this button do?" 

An hour later, the stewardess that Malik had been tormenting the most was glomped onto Hiro and Gwen, crying her eyes out. "Thank you thank you thank you!" 

The two exchanged glances and sweatdropped. The plane had landed, and they'd just begun to lead Malik off the plane when the stewardess had glomped them. "Thank you for what?" Gwen asked hesitantly, looking at Hiro, who shrugged. 

"Thank you for taking that devil-man off our plane!!!" 

Malik heard this and grinned, his yami cackling in his soulroom. //Devil man? What next?// 

/Well, I suppose it is true, eh yami?/ 

//Hmph, speak for yourself hikari...// 

Gwen and Hiro had finally managed to pry themselves loose from the stewardess's embrace and had headed off the plane, Malik just ahead of them. Malik was carrying a large duffle bag, and Gwen and Hiro had a backpack each. The rest of their luggage would be waiting at baggage claim, and they were counting on Gwen's large family to help them carry it all. 

"None of my family speaks Japanese." Gwen cautioned them. "Although my younger brother Josh was studying it when I left last fall, so he may have a passing grip on it by now if he's kept up his studies. Either way, you'll have to be letting us translate a lot. I'll start tudoring you two in English tonight, but it won't come fast." She paused. "Actually, maybe it will. Japanese sure was hard to learn, _anything_ seems like it'd be easier, especially English..." 

"I know a little bit." Malik piped up. "Just not a whole lot." 

"I know a few phrases." Hiro agreed, sweatdropping. 

They went through customs with few problems, although the guard had to be given Gwen's entire supply of pocky to let the Millenium Rod through without getting confinscated. She pouted about that for a while, but Malik's many thanks soon made up for it. 

((WSJ: Ah yes, if I can stick a note in here... I'm American, so don't take any jokes on Americans as an offence, okay? ^^; It's all out of fun, I don't mean any insults. I'm not trying to imply that American officials are stupid, or that they take bribes. But really, how else is Malik supposed to get the Rod through customs?)) 

Seemingly without warning, Gwen tossed her bag to a surprised Hiro, who caught it with a slight 'umph', and ran toward a group of about ten people standing in the terminal. The group, which consisted of only about four adults and seemingly innumerable children, were wearing expressions that ranged from bored to frazzled. Seeing Gwen, several of the children left off whatever they were doing and ran toward her, squealing in English. Hiro, whose sister had gone to college in America, caught the words 'big sister' and Gwen's name several times. 

In no time at all Gwen was engulfed in a group hug of manic proportions, all her many half-siblings climbing over her like monkies. Hiro and Malik stood back a little ways and sweatdropped, watching as Gwen picked up a little girl about five and a boy a little older and swung them around in a circle. Next she moved on to the older ones, and finally the adults, the whole time jabbering on in rapid-paced English. 

Suddenly Hiro 'eeped' and was glad that no one was paying attention to them at the moment. He poked Malik in the side and drew him over to a reletively shadowy corner. "Get Ishtar out here! Gwen was supposed to be bringing three friends along, not two." Malik's eyes widened as he realised the mistake he'd almost made, and nodded. He placed one hand over where the Rod was now hidden under his jacket, and Hiro caught the brief glow. A moment later Ishtar was standing between them, and they moved back out to where Gwen's family was waiting. 

Finally Gwen seemed to remember them, and beconed her whole family over. She pointed at each of them, and they were able to catch their names as she introduced them to their reletives. ~"Thank you us let stay."~ Malik said in broken English, and the three bowed. The four adults and two older children bowed back, and Gwen seemed delighted. She switched fluidly back to Japanese and inserted a private comment of her own before beginning to introduce her family. 

"Nice thinking bringing Ishtar out. I'd forgotten all about him. ^^; That's my dad, and his girlfriend Marie. My Uncle Matt and Aunt Sarah, and their daughter, my cousin Rose, who's eleven. That's my brother and only full-blooded sib, Josh, who's sixteen. There's my half-sister Kristen, or Kris, who's 15, my half-brother Andy, who's 13, and my half-sister Molly, who's 10. There's Micah, 7, Shayla, 4, and the baby that my dad's holding is Jake, who's about six months old. Got it?" 

The boys' heads were spinning, but they managed to nod. Gwen dragged them off to collect their baggage and her family followed. All the way the bouncy blond was chattering away, switching back and forth from English to Japanese as she saw need. At one point her brother Josh, who was really the only one who looked anything like Gwen and therefore made him easily identifiable in the crowd of Kennadys, leaned over and said in slightly accented Japanese "She always like this." 

"We know." Hiro whispered back. "Hyper." 

Josh laughed and nodded, slapping Hiro on the back. "Yes, hyper!" 

A little girl with light blue hair ran up and pulled on Malik's jacket, squealing something in English. Malik looked to Gwen and Josh for any help of translation, but before anything could be said Gwen had picked up Molly and deposited her on the surprised Egyptian's back. "She wanted a ride." the American explained, as if that solved everything. A moment later Micah and Shayla had gotten into the act, and Ishtar and Hiro found themselves with passengers as well. 

The three unwilling carriers exchanged long-suffering looks. Oh yes, this was most definately Gwen's family... 

~*~

Duke Devlin climbed off the bus, a suitcase in each hand and a backpack stuffed to bulging slung over his shoulders. Turning around he waved to the driver, and then looked at the massive set of stone steps in front of him and sighed. He checked the address his cousin had given him one more time, even though he already knew he was at the right place. Hiking his bag farther up on his shoulders, he started up the stairs. 

When he reached the top, what seemed like an eternity later, he passed under the bright red _torii_ and was suddenly filled with a sense of peace. He sighed happily and sat down his bags, rotating his tired shoulders and stretching his arms over his head. Birds sang in the trees, but the only ones he could see were a pair of crows eyeing him from on top of the _torii_. From what his grandfather had told him, those two birds were his cousin's pets. 

Leaving his bags by the stairs, Duke wandered around the courtyard for a minute or so, then went up to knock on the shrine's door. "Hello?" 

There was the sound of running footsteps from inside, and then it was opened by a young woman with long blond hair tied back with a red bow. She was wearing a sailor-style school uniform, the kind that was typical in this part of Tokyo. "Oh," she said, blinking. "Sorry, is no one out there? I wonder where Jii-san went... Did you want to buy a charm?" 

Duke just stared at her. She didn't look anything like what he remembered of his cousin. "Are you Hino Rei?" 

She looked startled. "What? No! I'm a friend of hers. My name's Aino Minako." 

Duke bowed politely. "I'm Duke Devlin, Aino-san. Rei-chan's my cousin." 

"Ah!" Enlightenment dawned on Minako's face. "Call me Mina-chan. Rei said you'd be coming. Come on in." As Duke pulled off his boots and sent them next to five or six other pairs of shoes already by the door, Minako skipped into a door down the hall. "Duke's here," Duke could hear her words floating down the hall to him as he followed her voice to Rei's room. "And man, he's hot! Why didn't you tell us your cousin was so cute Rei-chan?!" 

Duke paused outside the door, trying to smother a laugh as he waited for Rei's answer. "What? Minako, I haven't seen him since I was five! How would I know what he looks like now? Grampa just hired him for the summer because Yuuchiro's going to be gone and Duke-kun was desperate to get away from Domino." 

"Well believe me," Minako again. "He is _fine_." 

Duke chuckled again and deemed in a good time to make his entrance. He slid aside the rice paper screen and stepped into his cousin's room. Immediately he had the undivided attention of the five girls and two cats that were sitting or laying around various places. He recognised his cousin right away, dispite not having seen her in a good ten or eleven years. She was kneeling next to a low table set in the middle of the room, wearing the white and red robes of a miko [shrine maiden]. Her long raven hair was similar to Duke's own, and her eyes held the same glint, save that they were violet, not green. 

Four other girls were in the room too, and Duke studied them intently. Minako he'd met at the door. She was now sitting cross-legged on the floor, and the white cat had curled up in her lap. Duke noticed absently that both cats had a funny cresnt moon shaped tattoo on their foreheads. 

The girl who looked the oldest out of the group was laying on her stomach on the bed. She'd tried to hide the magazine she'd been looking at, but Duke could see it was some sort of a male model magizine. She was wearing a sailor-uniform too, only done in shades of tan instead of blue and red. Her long brown hair was up in a ponytail, and she had green eyes several shades darker then Duke's own. 

There was quite a spread of goodies on the table, and one girl had apparently been pigging out right before Duke walked in. She still had a cookie suspended half-way to her mouth, and she was watching Duke intently out of the corners of her blue eyes. She had the strangest hairstyle Duke had seen on anyone, except maybe Yami or Yugi. Her blond hair was long, and pulled up into two pigtails on either side of her head. Then, strangely, they'd been twisted into two buns, and the tails hung down from there. 

The last girl was sitting on Rei's desk chair with her nose in a book, although she was peeping at Duke over the top. She had blue-black hair cut short, and while Minako and Rei could definately be described as pretty or even beautiful, this girl was more of in the cute catagory. 

While he was studying the girls, they were studying him just as intensely. What they saw was a tall young man of roughly eighteen, maybe nineteen years with peircing green eyes and thick, glossy black hair held up by a ponytail and a red and black headband. His graceful figure betrayed that he was in some sort of sport. He was dressed in tight black pants and a white tanktop with some sort of a resturant logo on the front. His wrists and upper arms were adorned with armbands, and he had a six-sided die on a short chain hanging from his left ear. Some sort of a scar or birthmark tracked a sharp path down his left cheek, beginning just under his eye and ending right above his jawline. Somehow, this just made him look even more sexy. 

It was easy to see his relation to Rei in everything from his hair to the shape of his eyes to his figure, which seemed compact and ready to spring at any time. 

"Duke!" Rei jumped up from her seat and ran to hug her cousin. "It's been too long." 

"It has Rei-chan. Really pathetic when we only live a couple hours from each other. Who're your friends?" 

"Oh! I'm sorry. That's Minako, whom I assume you've already met, and her cat Artemis. That's Luna, Artemis's mate. She belongs to Tsukino Usagi," Usagi was the one with the strange hairstyle, and Duke grinned at her, interrupting his cousin's introductions. 

"You know, your hair looks like a pair of dumplings. Odango atama! [dumpling head]" 

Usagi looked indignant, and for some reason the rest of the girls all burst out laughing. "Yup, you're definately related to Rei!" the brown-haired girl said. "I'm Kino Makoto, nice to meet you!" 

"Nice to meet you too Kino-san. Sorry if I offended you Tsukino-san." 

The use of the honorific seemed to calm Usagi down somewhat. "Aw, don't call me that! You've got to be at least three years older then us. Just call me Usagi." 

"And me Makoto." Makoto said. "Or Mako-chan." 

Minako leaned over and whispered "Ha! Wishful thinking." to her brunette friend. 

"I'm Mizuno Ami, call me Ami." That was the blue-haired bookworm. 

Duke smiled and bowed to them. "I'm honored. Ore wa Duke Devlin. I'm eighteen years old and come from Domino City, Japan. I'm glad to be helping out at the shrine this summer." 

Makoto poked Minako in the side and leaned over to whisper "So am I!" without Duke noticing. 

"Hey!" Minako whispered back. "I saw him first!" 

"Only because you answered the door." Makoto pointed out, then sighed dreamily. "He looks just like my old sempai..." 

On Minako's lap, Artemus the moon cat, guardian of the Sailor Senshi along with Luna, intellegent, talking feline, stared at Makoto for a minute before facefaulting massively. 

~*~

"Sensei?" Ryou poked his head around the door of the dojo, wondering where his martial arts sensei was. He had arrived early Monday morning, just as sensei had requested, dressed in his gi and ready to help out wherever he could. He'd tied his hair back into a long ponytail, and over his shoulder he carried a duffle bag with street clothes and a towel. Shrugging, the telepath wandered into the locker room and stashed his stuff in a locker, slipping off his black slippers and the light coat he'd been wearing over his sleeveless gi. Usually, gi's were long sleeved and rather resembled a set of pajamas. Ryou's, however, was sleeveless. 

Ryou slipped a pair of sweatbands onto his wrists, and another, larger one to keep his long bangs out of his face. Now he was ready. White gi, black belt, and hunter green sweatbands contrasted nicely with his silver-white hair. Not that he could see whether the colour scheme was pleasing or not. 

Moving out into the dojo proper, he began to move easily through a warm-up kata, practicing his punches and kicks in a slow, graceful manner that looked rather like a dance. He was about halfway through when a loud voice from behind him yelled "Hya!!" Ryou wasn't startled. He was never startled. He just moved out of the kata, dodged the kick that the sensei sent his way, and fell into a defensive stance. 

Saotome-sensei nodded approvingly and then came in to attack Ryou again. The spar was short and sweet, Ryou gaining the upper hand almost immediately. Saotome-sensei was a bit surprised, to say the least. 

"But I couldn't have expected any less from my star student." He told Ryou, getting up from where he'd been tossed to the floor. "Ryou, I'd like you to teach the intermediate course for me, so I'll have more time to practice with the beginners and those more advanced." 

Ryou's eyes widened, and it was only years of practice that kept his jaw from dropping as well. He'd thought he'd be spending the summer doing odd jobs, not teaching an entire class! "Sensei, I - I'm honoured..." 

"Ah," Raiden Saotome, son of the famous Ranma and Akane Saotome, held up a finger. "I am not your sensei anymore, Ryou-san. You are sensei now. That," he lowered the finger to point at Ryou's black belt. "And your defeat of me are proof. I must say though, I didn't expect you to win _quite_ so easily. I must be getting old..." 

"Never Saotome-san!" Ryou said, slightly shocked that his mentor would suggest such a thing. 

Raiden-san chuckled. "Right. Now, the students for your first class should be arriving any time. Here's what I want you to go over today..." 

Their planning session was interrupted twenty minutes later with the arrival of the first three students for Ryou. He knew all three of them, although one only in passing and through second-hand accounts. 

Mokuba Kaiba was arguing fiercely with Lisa O'Kelley, and Rebecca Hawkins was doing her best to break them up. "Come on guys, you're acting like kids! And - Oh! Hello Ryou-san." That brought Kaiba and Lisa up short, although they continued to glare at each other as the three bowed to Ryou and Raiden-san. 

Raiden-san chuckled. "Ryou is your _sensei_ for this class. I expect that you treat him with the same respect you do me." 

"Hai Saotome-sensei." they piped up. Then Kaiba yelped, standing up from his bow with a jerk, jumping at least a foot forward. "Lisa pinched me!" 

"I did not!" 

Raiden-san looked at Ryou with pity in his eyes. "Good luck." he murmered quietly before going to greet his other students. Ryou sighed and massaged his temples. He could feel a headache coming on already. It was going to be a loooong summer... 

~*~

"How in hell's name do I get myself into these things..." 

"What did you say Mr Tour Guide man?" 

Bandit Keith winced and ground his teeth at the name, turning back around to glare at the group of fourteen and fifteen year olds he was leading around China for the summer. Peachy. He ground his teeth again and forced himself to think of the money he'd be making on this tour. "If you'll look out to your left, we're passing Beijing's 'Golden Mile'." 

"Oooh! Aaah!" 

~*~

"Bakhura, vake up." 

Bakura mumbled something in his sleep and tried to roll over. He found that he couldn't, and sat up with a sigh as memory kicked him in the head. He was on a plane, bound for France. How had he ever let Ryou talk him into this...? 

Amoura was sitting next to him, looking excitedly out the window. In the seat in front of them, Yami and Yugi were doing the same. Across the isle, Tea would have been too, except she was stuck in the isle seat while the person next to the window was roughly the same size and weight as one of Kaiba's Blue Eyes. "What's up Amoura?" he asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"Look," she said, sitting back in her seat so Bakura could lean past her and see the skyline. The white-haired man couldn't help but notice the way that her brown eyes were sparkling in happiness as she grinned, reminding him a little bit of Ryou. Looking past her, he caught his breath. It was the middle of the night in Paris, and the Eiffel Tower was completely lit up. There were really no words to express how magnificint it looked. 

"Velcome to Paris." Amoura said quietly in the hush that followed. "Velcome to my 'ome." 

A moment later Bakura realised that he was still leaning over Amoura, and that they were incredably close together. For a moment he froze, listening to Amoura's breath beside his ear as she looked out the window with him. He also realised that in the process of leaning over her to look out the window, one of his hands was resting rather companionably on her leg. Blushing he pulled back and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "How stupid..." he muttered, his face lowered so she wouldn't see him blush. "We get on the plane in Japan in the middle of the night, fly through the middle of the night, and land in Paris in the middle of the night..." 

Amoura, who had apparently just realised the same things Bakura had, stared at him as her face turned as red as his. "Oui..." she said weakly, nodding at him. She turned back to the window, and Bakura busied himself with rummaging for something in his backpack. Across the isle Tea, who had witnessed the exchange, slowly began to grin. 

Within twenty minutes they'd landed and were beginning to gather up their things. Unknowingly, Amoura almost exactly echoed Gwen's words from earlier. "Only Grandmama and I zpeak Japaneze, zo ve vill 'ave to translate for you." 

"Is she the one who taught you?" Yugi asked, and Amoura nodded. Having finished gathering their carry-on belongings, they left the plane and headed for the terminal where Amoura's grandmother had sais she would be waiting. Since it was so late, almost midnight Paris time, only she and the chaufer, Franz, would be there to greet them. Yami, Yugi, Bakura, and Tea would meet the rest of the family and servents in the morning. 

"Amoura!" 

As one person, Amoura-tachi swiveled their heads to see a woman and a man coming toward them. The woman was tall and thin, and had long grey hair swept up into a bun at the back of her head. She was wearing a long purple dress of the old-fashioned sort, and had her arms out to receive Amoura in a hug. She looked about sixty, obviously Amoura's grandmother. 

The man was a bit younger, maybe fifty, and had jet black hair with streaks of white running through it. He was dressed in a suit, and Bakura recognised him immediately as a butler sort. He kept himself refined and aloof after that first time he'd shouted Amoura's name, but everyone could see he was obviously glad to see her. 

After Amoura finished hugging her Grandmama, she gave Franz a hug as well, and then said something to the butler in French. He smiled at her and tipped his hat, then turned and walked away. "He iz going to bring zee car around, zo ve do not 'ave to carry our bagz zo far." she explained to her friends. "Everyone, ziz iz Madame Amanda Mari Letazaut, my grandmozzer." 

To the surprise of the group from Japan, Madame Amanda smiled, bowed, and then spoke in near-perfect Japanese, with only a hint of the accent that Amoura carried. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Amoura's written and told us so much about you." 

"She's told us a lot about you too, Madame Leatzaut," said Tea, the first to recover her voice. 

Madame waved her away. "Just call me Madame. Now, you are...?" 

"I'm Tea Gardener," Tea said, bowing to the French mistress. "I'm Tea's roommate. Well, one of them. Gwen went back to California for the summer, so she couldn't come." 

"I'm Yami Bakura," Bakura said, bowing formally to her. "But please, call me Bakura. You have a lovely granddaughter." Madame looked at him with a strage expression in her eye, then glanced once at Amoura before continuing on to Yugi. "Yes, I do..." 

"My name is Yugi Moto." Yugi said, bowing to her as well. "And this is my older brother, Yami." 

With a shreik that would have rivaled Rebecca Hawkins any day, Madame jumped behind Amoura as if to hide. "Good gracious child, what does that boy have on his head?!" 

Yami looked indignant and gave her his best pharoah-glare. "That, _Madame_, is my hair." 

"Oh no, that's not hair, it's too big. Do you know, sir, that you have something living on your head?" 

Yami growled, trying not to spit bullets at her. Holding back his laughter as best he could, Yugi laid a hand on his arm. "Yami, be nice." 

"Why?" Yami asked hautily, drawing himself up to his full four feet, six inches of height. "She isn't being nice to me!" 

It should probably be said here that while Yami still possessed the full head of hair and outrageous style that he'd held during Duelist Kingdom, Yugi's hair had long been cut short. That was why Yami was the target of Madame's rantings, and not the short hikari. 

Madame came out from behind Amoura, and the two stood glaring at each other with every bit of fire as their regal breeding could allow them. Madame was a high-born lady of France and was not used to having anyone contradict her. Equally, Yami was ex-pharoah of Egypt, and everyone had worshipped his every step. Now, both sences of pride and royal airs were put into use in this high-society staring contest. 

Off to one side, Yugi, Bakura, Amoura, and Tea stood watching them. "Watch out," Tea muttered quietly so only they could hear. "Train wreck ahead." 

Amoura nodded in agreement, sweatdropping slightly. "Ego clazzh." 

"The pharoah rises again..." Yugi sighed. 

Bakura groaned and nodded, echoing his aibou's earlier thoughts. "This is going to be a looooong summer..." 

~*~

"Scott. You. Are. In. My. _Bubble._" 

Scott made a face at Serenity. "Well sorr-_ry_!" 

"Hey, don't talk to my sister like that." Joey snapped, shooting a glare at his older cousin. 

Scott's mother, Kimeko Anius, turned around and eyed the three grumpy teens crammed together in the back seat. "Do I have to seperate you three?" 

"No ma'am..." 

It had been a long day. Joey, Scott, and Serenity had been woken at the crack of day and squeezed into the back seat of Scott's parents' old station wagon, their luggage piled around them. They'd been on the road for five plus hours, crammed together in a hot and sweaty car with a broken air conditioner. None of them were in a good mood. 

They were on their way to a giant Wheeler family reunion in Kyoto, and were actually looking forward to it. The Wheeler clan was spread out all over Japan and most of China, and this was the one time of year that they were all able to get together. Actually, the reunion was held once every five years, so they hadn't seen some of their reletives in half a decade. 

By far the biggest group of those reletives was the humungous amount of cousins, second cousins, and step cousins. The Wheeler family had cousins up to their eyeballs and armpits. You'd be surprised at some of the people Joey, Serenity, and Scott were related to... 

"So who are we staying in the hotel with?" 

"Well, Joey and Scott will be sharing a room with Duo, and Serenity, you'll be sharing with Miaka and Sakura." 

....Or maybe not. 

"Man... Sakura and I have never gotten along." Serenity grumbled. "I wonder if she still has that stupid stuffed bear." 

"Now now, don't tease her. We're almost there you three, just sit tight." Scott's father, Daisuke Anius said from his place in the driver's seat. "Just a few more minutes to go." 

"Good.." all three teens sighed in relief. Indeed, in a few more minutes they were out of the car and stretching their tired, cramped, sore muscles. They were at a huge hotel, which was near the park that the clan had rented out for their reunion. Tents were already being set up, and people were milling around and greeting their reletives. Scott saw one of his nieces and dashed off, and Joey followed. Serenity shrugged and pulled a duffel bag down off the top of the car. She headed toward the hotel to find out which room she'd be sharing with her cousin and step-cousin, when someone called her name. 

She turned around to see a young woman with red-brown hair a little darker then her own, tied up in two buns on either side of her head. She was wearing jeans and a purple t-shirt, and a man was following along behind her, looking bored. The man had hair so dark that it almost looked green, pulled back into a thin ponytail that trailed down his back. 

"Miaka!" Serenity ran over and hugged her cousin. Besides Scott, Miaka was probably the one cousin she was closest to. "It's been too long!" Miaka was a little older then Serenity. While Serenity was only sixteen (seventeen next month), Miaka was almost nineteen. 

"It has," Miaka agreed, her grin threatening to split her face. "This is my fiance, Tamahome." 

"Konnichiwa." Serenity said, bowing to him. "I'm Serenity Wheeler." 

Tamahome smiled at her. "Miaka's told me so much about you. I look forward to getting to know you better." He ran an eye over her slender frame and then remarked absently to Miaka, "Too bad Tasuki isn't here. He'd have a fit." 

Miaka snickered. "That he would. Tasuki's a friend of ours." she explained to Serenity as the three of them began to walk toward the hotel. "He claims to hate women, but he's always had a soft spot for pretty girls." 

"For you, you mean." Tamahome said, poking her in the side. Miaka laughed and nodded, leaning into him as he put an arm around her waist. "But you're the only one for me." 

"Good," Tamahome grinned, leaning down to kiss her. 

Miaka giggled and pushed him away. "Not in front of Serenity-chan! Have you no manners Tama'?" 

"Well that depends, do you like me with manners?" 

Miaka laughed again. "Of course not, you know that. If I liked someone with manners I would have chosen Hotohori instead of you." Tamahome's face twisted, and Miaka gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "Oh jeez Tama, I'm sorry!" 

"It's okay," he assured her after a moment. "You _didn't_ choose Hotohori, you chose me. That's all that matters." He grinned at her, and Miaka smiled back. Bending down slightly, Tamahome wrapped his arms around her and placed his broad tan cheek against Miaka's smooth alabaster one. 

Watching from nearby, Serenity sighed in longing. There would be plenty of time for kisses and love when she and Ryou were older of course, but she missed her boyfriend already. Leaning back against the brick wall of the hotel and watching her cousin and soon-to-be cousin-in-law, she let herself daydream about someday when she and Ryou would be just as close as that. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: ^-^ Wow... That is one long chapter, dudes. 

Tamahome: >> Why'd you have to drag me into this...? 

WSJ: ^__^ 'Cuz I felt like it! 

Ryou: *pokes Tamahome* Be thankful you're not her favorite. You don't want to know the awful things she does to het favorites... *he, Bakura, and Pegasus shudder slightly* 

Tamahome: .....So which of us is your fav SJ? From Fushigi Yuugi, I mean? 

WSJ: ^o^ Chichiri, no da! 

Tamahome: ~_~; Of course... 

WSJ: Anyway, not all of the chapters should be this long, but most of them will probably be close, since I have so many different groups of people in so many different places. ^~ See ya' next time! 

**Chapter 2**: The California team hits the beach, and Malik takes to surfing like, well, a duck to water. Gwen and Hiro do a little cuddling at the beach, and Ishtar tries to get used to the fact that while every American girl within miles seems to flock to Malik, the only one who notices him is Gwen's 15-year-old sister Kris. 

The French group settles into Amoura's house, which is really more like a mansion, and meet the rest of Amoura's family. Bakura discovers something intresting in the kitchens, and yet another love triangle develops. However, this one is intresting in the fact that no one is trying to keep them apart. In fact, every single person in the house seems to be rooting for them to get together. What's going on? 

Ryou copes with teaching a bunch of teenagers martial arts. Not the least of his problems, of course, is the love triangle going on between Lisa, Mokuba, and Rebecca. Seto's just plain disgusted with the whole thing, and Ryou thinks it's amusing. Eh, you live you learn, and then get loves. ^~ 

Bandit Keith stops by an Amazon village (yup, in China. Bet you didn't see _that_ coming) and finds out that maybe girl power does have a nice ring to it after all. 

Serenity and Miaka have it out with Sakura, while Tamahome, Scott, and Joey go out for a little partying on the town. Can anyone say "uh oh"? And what's up with the woman who seems to be following them around? 

Duke and his new found friends spend a little time touring Juuban, but when a Daimon attacks the girls have to rush off and leave Duke in the reletive safety of the Crown Arcade. While waiting out the Daimon attack, Motoki (the arcade owner) and Naru (Usagi's best friend) let something slip that could spell trouble for the Sailor Senshi. Duke, however, has no idea what to do with this information. 

Meanwhile, Luna and Artemus contact Fate, hoping for help, information, and anything else that could be useful. 

Can anyone here say "What a summer!" Good, I knew you could. ^^ Now if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry. *wanders off in search of food* 

God bless minna-san! 


	2. Where Love Will Get You To

WSJ: *giggles* Kawaii! I saw Rurouni Kenshin for the first time last Saturday night!!! I love the theme song to pieces! Anyone know where I can download it? *glomps Kenshin* Mine! :p Thanks to my boyfriend Chase for badgering me into watching it! I LOVE it! ^^ 

And, since none of you probably understood that last comment at all... 

^^; Hiya everyone! *waves hesitantly* Well, I'm hoping you all liked the first chapter, even if it was super-long. I'm getting good responces over throwing Sailor Moon into the mix too. :p Yay me. But now I've got a delema, so to speak, and I want your opinions. Should Duke fall in love with one of the Senshi? And if so, which one? Right now, I'm leaning more toward Minako/Duke, but Brood-'Neesan suggested Ami/Duke. Makoto/Duke would be pretty cute too. Any of you have ideas? 

Hehehe... I'm so sorry for sticking in so many cameo references, but I can't help myself! Be sure there'll be lots more in the future. :p I'm a true anime buff at heart. There's no anime I've seen so far that I've trully hated (except for *maybe* Hamtaro). ^~ 

For those of you asking, the main cameos will appear from these animes:  
** Ranma 1/2**: Raiden-san's nephew (Ranma), and Keith's buddies in the Amazon village, whom you'll meet this chapter. EDIT: I've switched Raiden-san from being Ranma's son to being his uncle, Genma's older and better brother. ^^ I want Ranma and Akane in their teens for this, not way older. :p You'll see why either this chapter or next. *snicker*   
**Fushigi Yuugi**: Serenity/Joey/Scott's cousin Miaka and her fiance, Tamahome. They'll also frequently mention other characters who don't actually show up, such as Tasuki last chapter.   
**Gundam Wing**: Joey/Scott/Serenity's cousin, Duo Maxwell. Again, he'll frequently mention other characters, but they won't actually show up. ^^; I'm bending the rules slightly with him, since he's from the future, but I trust you guys don't mind, right?   
**Tenchi Muyo!**: One of Ryou's students is a young lady from the Masaki shrine, and Tenchi often comes to pick her up from class. ^o~ Things get really wild either this chapter or next, so just wait and see... 

Those are the main cameos, although lesser ones from these shows and more will pop up from time to time. :p I really can't help it. I've always wanted to write a massive crossover. And besides, how can the cast of YGO spread out for the summer and _not_ meet characters from other shows? ^~ (Here's a hint on a few more of the minor cameos: Look closely at Ryou's martial arts class for a couple more Tokyo-based super-stars. ^^) 

WSJ: Wai!! Kawaii!! *dancing around happily singing "kawaii" over and over in a really strange voice* 

Scott: ;>> NOW what's her problem? 

Ryou: *sweatdrop* Must you ask? 

WSJ: The new episode was so cyute!! Yay Serenity! Yay Joey! Yay Yugi! Boo Kaiba! 

Mokuba: Heeey... 

WSJ: ^^v Not you, your idiot brother. *blows a raspberry at Seto* I'm glad he saved Tea and all, but he is just such a jerk! 

Yugi: XP You're tellin' me... 

WSJ: *bouncing up and down now* Kawaii kawaii kawaii! Wai! 

Ryou, Scott, Mokuba, & Yugi: *sweatdrop* Oh help, hyper authoress... 

Duke: *shudders* Beware... Beware... 

WSJ: ^^v 

Everyone: ....*shudders again* 

Ryou: SJ doesn't own YGO, Sailor Moon, or any of the many cameos. Amoura, Yunet, Lisa, and Amoura's family are Brood's. Scott, Gwen, Hiro, Raiden-san, and other misc. characters are SJ's. 

WSJ: On to the fic! 

On the question of aging: Yes, Bakura would age normally, always being one year older then Ryou. I know Ishtar is a split of Malik _now_, but I didn't know way back when I started this. Therefore, I'm just treating him like a Millenium Spirit. He and Yami would stay the same, never aging at all. 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 2: Where Love Can Get You To 

_Quote of the chapter:_

"Oh great. Just what we need. Another love triangle. Though by that time, it'd probably be   
a hexagon. Or something resembling a highway cloverleaf."   
~(Time Lady, A Teacher's POV - Snow Day) 

Grandmama and Yami didn't stop glaring at each other all the way out of the airport and to where Franz was waiting with the car. Tea and Yugi gasped, and Bakura's jaw dropped a fraction of an inch before he was quickly in control again. Yami spared a quick glance, and his eyes did widen slightly before he went right back to his glaring contest with Amoura's grandmother. 

Amoura giggled as she saw her friends' reactions. "Like it?" 

"It" was a stretch limo, painted white with chrome accents. It had tinted windows, and the hood ornament was a tiny Dark Magician. "Hey," Yugi said upon noticing it. "Where'd you get that? I wouldn't mind having one." 

Amoura laughed. "Zere iz a ztore downtown in Paris zat zells all zorts of Duel Monzters zings. I vill make zure to take you zome time." 

"Yes please." Yugi said, bending over to inspect the hood ornament. "Wow, it's so detailed..." 

Franz said somethingin French, and Amoura was quick to reply. From the way she was pointing at them from time to time, the group from Domino could guess that she was going through introductions. When she was finished, Franz said something else, and Amoura laughed. "He vants to know if you like the Dark Magician, Yugi." 

He nodded enthusiasticly. "It's my favorite. Yami's too, if he weren't too busy with Madame to notice." 

Amoura chuckled. "Too bad you do not know French zen. Franz iz a Dark Magician duelizt." 

Yugi looked delighted. "Really? I'll have to duel him then. That'll break the language barrier easy." 

Franz had caught the word 'duel' and was nodding. "Oui oui monsier," he said, pulling a deck of his own out of his pocket and showing it to Yugi before tucking it away again. "Duel." 

"Tomorrow." Yugi said, trying to surpress a yawn. "We'll duel tomorrow." Amoura translated, and Franz nodded, smiling at Yugi. Then he opened the door to the back of the limo and bowed, motioning for Amoura and Tea to get inside. They did, with Yugi and Bakura following closely after. Franz laid a hand on Grandmama's arm, and she glanced over at him. He smiled tightly, gesturing for her to get in the car. She did so, and Yami followed her in. The two sat in opposite corners of the roomie limo, and the rest of the passengers, including Franz, sighed in exhasperation. 

The ride to Amoura's house was short and silent. Tea and Amoura talked quietly, and at times Grandmama would make quiet comments in French to either Amoura or Franz. The trip lasted less then half an hour, but it was long enough for both Bakura and Yugi to fall asleep, leaning up against each other. Snickering quietly, Tea pulled a camera out of her purse and snapped a picture. Yami smiled at that as he reached over to shake his aibou awake. "Yugi?" 

"Mmm?" Yugi asked, opening one violet eye a crack. "Wha?" 

Yami sighed and leaned over, allowing Yugi to wrap his arms around Yami's neck. Although Yugi had grown some, Yami could still lift him easily. As he stepped out of the limo with Yugi in his arms, Franz steadying him so Yugi wouldn't get dropped, Yugi snuggled against his yami's chest and mumbled something about apple pie. Back in the limo, Amoura and Tea were trying to poke Bakura awake. There was no way that anyone there was strong enough to carry him. 

"Go 'way Ryou..." he murmered, batting at Amoura's hand as she shook his shoulder. "Not time for classes yet..." 

Tea and Amoura looked at each other and giggled, then resumed their efforts in waking him. "Are you coming, ladies?" Grandmama asked, sticking her head back in the door. "We don't have all night you know." 

"In a moment Grandmama," Amoura answered. 

"Go on in," Tea suggested. "We'll be right behind you, as soon as we manage to wake up Bakura." 

Grandmama shrugged and nodded, and led Yami toward the door to the house. Franz went around to the trunk and pulled out several of the bags, taking them toward the house. 

"Wakey wakey..." 

"It's no use," Tea sighed after about three minutes. There had been no sign of life from Bakura, except for a faint snore every now and then. "We may as well just leave him to sleep here!" 

Suddenly, Amoura grinned impishly. "Juzt a moment T'ea. I 'ave one more idea." Lenaing over, she began to run her hands through Bakura's hair, at the same time whispering something in his ear. In a moment he was bolt upright, staring at her like she was crazy. His face went beat red and he grabbed her by the wrists, gently yanking her hands out of his hair. His eyes were wild, and Amoura began to laugh. "I did not zink you vould react zo ztrongly! I vas juzt kidding, I promise!!" 

Bakura shuddered, running his own hands back through his hair, which just succeeded in sticking it even straighter up. "I should hope not!" He stared at her once more before climbing out of the limo and grabbing a few bags from the trunk. Still giggling, Amoura climbed out after him, Tea right behind her. Both girls grabbed a bag each just as Franz came back for another load. 

"What did you say to him?" Tea asked as they began to walk up the driveway toward the house. It was really a rather large house, falling just short of a mansion, but since it was so dark none of the Domino group really noticed. Thinking about what she had whispered to Bakura sent Amoura over the edge, and she began to giggle again. Tea face-faulted. "It was something seductive, wasn't it?" 

"Of course!" Amoura said, grinning widely. "'Ow elze vere ve zupposed to vake 'im up? I vas just kidding." 

"Riiiight, of course you were." Tea said, eyeing her friend with a sly grin on her face. 

Now it was Amoura's turn to blush, her face almost as red as Bakura's had been a few minutes earlier. "T'ea! It iz not like zat!" 

"Suuure, it isn't like that _now_." Tea assured her. "Just give it a few weeks." 

Amoura's blush deepened and she chased after Tea as the latter ran inside, giggling. "I'll get you for zat!" 

~*~

(WSJ: *sigh* I hate writer's block. It must be summertime blues that keeps doing this to me.... But, after several hours of alternatively kicking Joey's tail on YGO: Eternal Duelist Soul, hunting down deer on "Deer Hunt Ultimate Challenge", and beating up orcs in "War Craft II"... I think I'm pretty much over it. ^^v) 

~*~

"So, Duke, what do you think of Juuban so far?" 

Duke chuckled. It was easy to see that at least two of Rei's friends had a crush on him, and the blue-haired one probably did too, from the way she kept sneaking glances at him. The six of them, Rei, Usagi, Makoto, Minako, Ami, and Duke, were walking around downtown Juuban. Rei had thought that if he was going to be spending the summer there, he might as well get to know his way around. They'd bought iced creame a few streets back, and Duke had insisted on buying everyone a cone. The Odango Atama, Usagi, had seemed delighted at that. Rei and Ami had turned him down, even though he'd tried to insist. So now they were off walking again, Makoto and Minako on either side of him, Rei and Usagi just ahead of them, and Ami just behind. 

They were nearing Juuban Junior High, where three of the five girls went to school, when Usagi suddenly squealed in delight and took off running. As Duke watched, she attached herself to a man who had just turned onto the street. The rest of the girls sweatdropped, and Ami chuckled. 

Usagi led the man back toward them, all the while chattering a mile-a-minute. " - And then he bought us _ice creame_! Isn't that so fabulous, Mamo-chan?" 

"Woah, woah," the man said, his eyebrows raising into his hairline. "He bought you ice creame and now you're dumping me over him?" 

"Nooo!" Usagi squealed again, as if that were impossible, the same time Minako and Makoto said "We saw him first Usagi!" 

Mamoru and Duke sweatdropped, and Mamoru held out a hand. "I'm Chiba Mamoru, Usagi's boyfriend." 

Now it was Duke's turn to raise an eyebrow, absently fiddling with a die in his right hand. "Aren't you a little old for her? I mean, I'm at least two, probably three years older then them, and you're even older then me." 

Mamoru groaned slightly. "Not you too... Sorry, it's just that I have a hard enough time convincing Usagi's dad what we're made for each other..." 

"It's okay," Duke said, flashing him a smile. "No biggie. I was just curious." He finally took the hand that Mamoru held out, clasping it firmly. "I'm Duke Devlin, Rei-chan's cousin from Domino City." 

"He's staying the summer to help out at the Shrine while Yuuchiro's gone." Rei supplied. 

Mamoru nodded, and would have said more, but at that moment screams registered to everyone's ears. The five girls and Mamoru shared a look that Duke didn't quite miss, but couldn't interpret. "Come here Duke," Minako said, pulling him away by the hand. "Sounds like a Daimon's coming." 

"Daimon?" Duke asked as Minako pushed him toward the Crown Arcade. "Wait, where are you going?" 

"Ask Motoki, the arcade manager." Minako yelled as she sprinted away. "Sorry, I've got to go!" 

Not sure what else to do, Duke turned and entered the arcade. It seemed a few other people had heard the screams as well, and what few customers there were were over in the corner. A young man about Duke's age, maybe a little older, was holding up a trap door in the floor and urging everyone through. When he spotted Duke come in he waved him over. "Come on! Daimon shelter under here." 

"I'm new in Juuban," Duke said. "What's a Daimon?" He and the blond guy were the only ones still in the arcade. The blond, Motoki, glanced once more over his shop, then hussled Duke down the steps, pulling the door shut behind him. He then squeezed past Duke and led the way to a basement, where the few customers were sitting around and talking, seemingly not concerned at all. 

"You really don't know?" Motoki asked, surprised. He looked around the shelter, then waved over a red-head wearing the same school uniform that Usagi and Ami did. "This is Osaka Naru. Naru, help me explain the Daimon attacks to..." 

"Duke Devlin." Duke said. "I'm visiting my cousin, Hino Rei, for the summer." 

Motoki and Naru exchanged glances. "Rei-chan's your cousin? And yet you don't know about Daimons?" Motoki asked. "Oh boy, are you out of the loop..." 

(WSJ: Quick note here. For those of you who've only seen the dubbed version of SM, Motoki is Andrew the Arcade Guy, and Naru is Molly, Usagi's best friend until the other Senshi came along.) 

"The Daimons are basicly demons." Naru said. "Same as Youma, Droids, and Cardians, but they've all been destroyed already. Some evil people are controlling them, ordering them to steal people's energy. Or at least, that's what _usually_ happens." 

"Lately, the Daimons have been out to steal things called Heart Crystals." Motoki explained, taking up where Naru left off. "If a person's Heart Crystal gets stolen, and the Sailor Senshi don't get it back quick enough, they could get killed." 

"Sailor Senshi?" Duke was beginning to feel like a parrot. 

"The Sailor Senshi, pretty suited soldiers of love and justice." Naru said, putting her hands on her hips. "You say Rei-chan's your cousin, yet you don't know she's Sailor Mars? I thought everyone closest to them knew who they really were! At least their families, and look at Motoki and I, we know Usagi and the others are the Senshi." 

She hadn't been talking loud enough for anyone else in the shelter to hear, but even so Motoki was making frantic "shhh!"ing motions as he watched Duke's eyes widen. "Na-ru!" he whispered in a sing-song voice through tightly-clenched teeth. "He _didn't_ know up until you spilled the beans." 

Naru gasped and put her hands over her mouth. "Oh kami! I'm sorry! But you're Rei's cousin, I thought you would have already known! The Senshi made a pact last year to tell their families and closest friends who they really were." (WSJ: Not really. I'm just making that up. ^~ So I guess Sailor Moon is slight AU after all...) 

"Maybe, but I haven't seen Rei in nine years." Duke said, slightly dizzy. "Wait a second. I've heard about this on the news! Those Daimons are really dangerous, and you're telling me that my cousin and her friends, including the beautiful Minako, the brainy Ami, and the kick-butt Makoto, are out there fighting them?!" He stared hard at the two helpless teens, and then turned on his heel. He sprinted for the stairs and the way out of the shelter, when Motoki reacted and raced forward, grabbing his arm. 

"The Senshi will be fine!" Motoki grit out, trying to hold on to the surprisingly strong Duke. "They have each other to watch their backs, and magical powers to boot! You go out there and you'll get your heart stolen or worse! You'd just be a distraction!" 

Spinning around on the balls of one foot, Duke drove his fist into Motoki's stomach, forcing him to let go. "Distraction, smaction! I'm not letting my cousin or her friends get hurt!" Motoki doubled over in pain, and before anyone else could react Duke was up the stairs and out of the shelter. He ran out onto the street, looking around for any signs of the battle. Hearing an explosion down the street, he ran that way. He rounded a corner and then "eeep"ed and jumped back. 

Five girls in sailor suits were battling against a monster, with a guy in a tuxedo watching over them from on top of a light pole. But since Duke knew what, or rather, who he was looking for, he identified them easily. 

Sailor Moon, who was dressed primarily in red and blue and spinning a staff around like a club, could be no one else but Tsukino Usagi. Especially with that hair. Makoto, with her brown ponytail, had to be the green-skirted Jupiter. Ami was blue-themed Sailor Mercury, and Rei was the firey, red-clothed Sailor Mars, just like Naru had said. Venus, with long blond hair and an orange skirt, had to be Minako. Even the guy in the tuxedo could be identified as Mamoru, if you were smart enough to look that close. 

Actually, it wasn't nearly so easy to identify the Sailor Senshi. Usually they have a magical discuise field that prevents them from being recognised. Duke had known, or at least suspected, who they were though, and so had been able to see through the spell. 

Watching them fight, Duke couldn't help but get jittery. When Sailor Moon dusted the monster, he was already footing it back toward the Crown Arcade. He met the girls and Mamoru outside, and if they noticed that he was slightly preoccupied, none of them said anything. 

(WSJ: *sweatdrop* More slight AU-ness. The Daimons have been attacking for about a month, and the Senshi know what they are and that they are after Heart Crystals, but they don't know why and they don't know who's controlling them. Neptune and Uranus aren't on the scene yet, but they'll show up soon enough.) 

~*~

Long ago, almost five-thousand years ago, seven great and terrible Items of power were forged... But that story is already well known to you. Very well then, there is another story you must know. One more recent, but which also involves the fall of a great empire. 

A thousand years ago, Earth's moon was inhabited by a kingdom known as the Moon Kingdom. The queen, Queen Serenity, and her daughter Princess Serenity ruled over it with a firm but loving hand. 

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Princess Serenity met and fell in love with a prince from Earth. His name was Endymion. But alas, the match was not to be. Endymion was being lusted over by an evil queen named Beryl, and marrages between the Earth and Moon Kingdoms were forbidden. 

Furious that Serenity had won Endymion's heart, Queen Beryl attacked the Moon Kingdom, using all the negative energies and dark powers in her heart to utterly destroy it. The guardians of the Moon Kingdom, who were each princesses in their own rights, did their best to protect Serenity, but they fell one by one at the hands of Beryl's generals, who were Endymion's friends brainwashed. 

Using the power of the Silver Millenium Crystal, Queen Serenity was able to banish Beryl, and send her daughter, her guardians, and Endymion to be reincarnated on Earth. However, the spell used the last of her strength, and she died. 

Fast forward a millenium, to modern day Tokyo. The Senshi have been reborn, but so have Beryl and her generals. Beryl attacks once again, but Sailor Moon (the reincarnated Princess Serenity) and her followers destroy her, this time for good. Over the next year they face several more trials, which brings us up to this point. 

The latest batch of enemies, the Dark Moon Family, have been destroyed. But now new attacks are beginning. This time, the enemies aren't out for just energy. They're stealing people's pure hearts! Who are they, and what do they want? Only time will tell, but time is running out for the Sailor Senshi... 

That is the story of the Senshi as it has been told over the years. But the two Moon Cats, Artemus and Luna, the guardians of the Senshi Guardians, never told the entire story. And the entire story is this: 

Queen Serenity, after banishing the Dark Kingdom, didn't have enough power to reincarnate any more then two souls to the future. She chose her daughter and Endymion, and hoped that somehow they would survive without the Sailor Senshi. As Queen Serenity died and Luna and Artemus looked on, a figure appeared through the ruin of the Moon Kingdom. 

She was tall, and had blond hair and violet eyes. She was dressed in a long white robe, and wings curved gracefully away from her back. Around her neck swung the Millenium Ring, as it was not time for the mortals to have it yet. Kneeling down next to the Queen, Fate placed a hand on her forehead. 

"Peace, child," Fate said. "I will watch over them, and make sure they are all reborn. You have no need to worry. I have my own line to watch over, but someday our two factions will join together. I will watch over them all." 

And with those words of comfort, Queen Serenity died. 

"Who are you?" Luna asked, as Fate took the Cresent Moon Wand from Queen Serenity's limp hand. 

Fate said simply, "I am Fate." and pointed the Wand at the Moon Cats. In an instant, they were locked in suspended animetion capsules, ready to be sent to the future on Earth as well. Once they were gone, Fate stood alone in the ruins of the greatest Kingdom that had ever been. In her hands, the Moon Wand was glowing softly, and the Millenium Ring was chiming slightly to itself. 

Fate chuckled as she lifted her hand, letting the Moon Wand vanish into the future as well. "Calm, my friends. You will meet again soon enough. It has been five-thousand years waiting, another ten hundred will not make a difference." 

"Are you sure?" 

Fate turned to face Hatred, who stood behind her. The Millenium Rod was glowing softly as well, as if the two Items knew that their days with the Moon Kingdom were not over. "I am sure, Hatred. There is no question that the Moon Kingdom will rise again. We just need to be sure that it brings Egypt with it, or all is lost." 

"Time says that in a thousand years, there will be a hero who rises and brings them both back, at the same time destoying the Great Evil once and for all." 

"A hero?" Fate asked, slightly surprised. "Not a heroine? Not Sailor Moon?" 

Hatred shook his head. "Sailor Moon will play a part, but it is the Child of Fate who will ultimately triumph." 

Fate smiled slightly. "Ah, the Child. He shall do great things." 

Hatred didn't bother to either agree or argue. He simply inclined his head, and then turned on his heel. With a small swoosh of moon dust, he was gone. Fate took one last look around the fallen kingdom, at where the fallen Queen lay, and then followed her fellow Elemental. 

~*~

"Oy vey! I didn't know teaching was so stressful!!" Ryou moaned, leaning against the wall of the dojo. Raiden-san chuckled as together they waved goodbye to the last of their students. 

"Bye Mokuba! See you tomorrow! Bye Ruki, bye Tyson!" 

Well, almost. Ryou and Raiden-san turned to where the last of Ryou's students was waiting to be picked up. "Are you sure you have a ride home, Sasami?" Ryou aksed the blue-haired girl. 

She nodded. "Oh yes, Tenchi said he'd come and get me. He probably just got delayed by Ryoko or Ayeka or someone. It happens a lot." she said, and shrugged, like it was no big deal. 

Before anything else could be said, the door of the dojo opened and a black-haired man about Ryou's age or a little younger stuck his head in. He looked around, and when he spotted Raiden-san he grinned and waltzed inside like he owned the place. He wore red and black Chinese style clothes, and his hair was tied back in a pig-tail. A girl with hair so black it was almost blue trotted in after him, looking around. "Hiya Uncle Raiden!" the man said, waving at Raiden-san. "Pops said you had a class today. Hey," he turned toward Ryou with a look of surprise on his face. "Who's this? A student of yours?" 

"No," Raiden-san said. "This is my new assistant, Ryou Bakura. Ryou-san's helping with the intermediate classes, so I have more time to work with the beginners and those advanced. Maybe you should spar with him Ranma, he even beat me." Ranma looked surprised at this, and Raiden-san turned to Ryou. "This is my nephew, Ranma Saotome, and his fiancee, Akane Tendo." 

"Hi," Ranma said, sticking out his hand. "Would you like to spar? You've sure got some battle aura!" 

"Sure," Ryou said, grinning as he took Ranma's offered hand. "Your aura's pretty big itself." 

"That's just his ego." Akane said from the doorway, where she was talking to Sasami. Ranma stuck his tongue out at her, then turned back to Ryou. "You can sense auras?" 

Ryou nodded and raised his eyebrows. "I'm a telepath. It's the only way I can do martial arts at all, since I'm blind. But I'm rather surprised _you_ can sense people's auras." 

"It's an aquired skill." Ranma muttered, for the first time noticing that Ryou's brown eyes were dull and muddied. 

Before they could get into their fight, Sasami jumped up and down and opened the door wider. "Tenchi's here! And Yosho too!" Akane and Sasami stepped to either side as two men entered the dojo. One was Ryou and Ranma's age, with spikey black hair in a rattail. The other was an old man with long gray hair and glasses, dressed in the robes of a Shinto priest. Both of them seemed nervous about something, and jumpy. "What's wrong Tenchi?" Sasami asked. 

It was Yosho, the older man, who answered her. "I can sense something around here. Two huge auras! They could be a danger to us all!" 

Ranma and Ryou chuckled sheepishly as Tenchi looked their way. "Grampa! There, the two of them!" 

Yosho frowned as he eyed them, his grandson dropping into a defensive crouch. "They do not seem threatening..." 

"We ain't, we ain't!" Ranma said, waving his hands desperately. "I'm a martial artist, I've just trained my aura up! Ryou here's a telepath, whatever that means..." 

Ryou was busy "eyeing" Tenchi, who also had a huge aura that almost caught up to Ranma's, if not surpassed it a bit. Of course, neither of them were really a match for Ryou. Yosho frowned. "A telepath... I thought all those with such powers had died out long ago." 

"No, apparently not," Ryou said, speaking for the first time since Yosho and Tenchi had entered. "My mother was a telepath as well, and I inherritated my powers from her." 

"Hmmm..." Yosho said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Very intresting..." 

Raiden-san stepped forward. "I propose a match between the three boys, just for the fun of it. We can see which really is stronger." Akane and Sasami nodded and clapped their hands in delight, backing up into the corner of the dojo. Yosho and Raiden-san took up refereeing positions on either side, and looked toward the three teens. 

"What do you say?" Tenchi asked, cracking his knuckles. "Up for a three-way spar?" 

"You know it!" Ranma said. "I warn you though, between Mousse and Shampoo and Ryoga and everyone else, I'm used to free-for-alls!" 

"Well then I guess you've never tried battling about twenty Shadow Realm demons at once." Ryou noted casually, also dropping into a crouch. "I say, let's go for it!" 

"Very well," Yosho said, holding up his hand. The three boys backed into the three corners of the room not occupied by the girls and got ready to charge toward the center, as well as the other two. "It's a three-way, anything goes melee between Ranma Saotome, Tenchi Masaki, and Ryou Bakura. Ready..." The three martial artists tensed as Yosho dropped his hand, signifying that the match could begin. 

"FIGHT!!" 

~*~

Once all the bags had been brought inside, Amoura led everyone up to the guest rooms that had been prepared for them. The house was big, yes, but not a mansion. Considering the fact that the servents, Amoura, Amoura's brother Julien, Grandmama, and Amoura's mother all had their own rooms already, that left only two rooms open for the guests. Yami and Yugi were led to one, and Bakura got to stay in the other. Tea was going to share Amoura's room for the duration of their stay, not that she minded in the least. 

Bakura yawned and stripped down to his boxers, all but tumbling into bed. Amoura and Tea inflated the air matress, then talked for awhile before they too fell asleep. Yami carried Yugi upstairs and set him into one of the beds in their room. Then he changed into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and climbed into the other bed, asleep almost before his head hit the pillow. 

Of the group from Domino, it was Bakura who woke up first the next morning, just shy of eleven o'clock local time. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt, yawning all the while. Then he trudged downstairs. It was really a wonder that he didn't get lost along the way. The house was pretty big, after all. Maybe it was just the fact that he was extremely hungry that led him unerringly to the kitchen. 

Inside, a man of about thirty with thick purple hair and a tall, lean build was standing over the stove, humming to himself. ^"Ah me, Annalee..."^ he sighed to himself. ^"How I love you..."^ He was dressed in a pair of navy blue dress slacks and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows. Over top he had on an apron. When he turned around with a big plate of pancakes in one hand, Bakura could see that it had "Kiss the Cook" written across the top in English. 

"Ah, zere you are!" 

Bakura jumped and turned around to see Amoura, who was already showered, dressed, and smiling. The man who'd been at the stove stepped out of the kitchen, and Amoura talked to him for a moment or two in French. He laughed at something she said, then made his way toward the diningroom with the plate of pancakes. "Zat is Jacques." Amoura said, pronouncing it 'jjock'. "He is our cook." 

"Cook?" Bakura asked, his mouth watering slightly. "As in food?" 

Amoura laughed and took him by the arm, leading him toward the diningroom. "Of courze. Now come, you start breakfast and I vill go vake up zee others." Bakura nodded and entered the diningroom. He passed Jacques going the other way and nodded at the cook, who smiled back. Bakura then entered to find the round table set for eleven. Grandmama was already sitting at the head of the table, with Franz on one side and a woman about forty on the other. Another woman, about twenty-eight, sat on Franz's other side, while the other side of the forty-ish woman was occupied by a high chair and a little boy about two. 

The woman next to Grandmama was immediately recognisable, though Bakura had never seen her before. She had green hair much shorted and a shade darker then Amoura's, but there was no mistaking those brown eyes for any other family. The little boy had green hair too, though his was much lighter then Amoura's, and his eyes were green as well. The other woman, sitting next to Franz, was short, with long brown hair and gray eyes. She looked shyly away when Bakura shifted his gaze to her. 

As he entered the room, Grandmama stood up with a smile. "Ah, awake at last, I see. You are... Yugi?" 

"No Madame," Bakura said, bowing to her and the rest of the table. "My name is Yami Bakura, but please, call me Bakura." 

"Forgive me, I am bad with names." Smiling at him, she spoke to teh rest of the room. ^"Everyone, this is Bakura, one of Amoura's friends from Japan."^ 

"Bonjour!" several voices cried at once, and Bakura grinned, knowing that much French at least. "Bonjour." 

"This is my daughter-in-law, Valeraine Letazaut, Amoura's mother." The green-haired woman next to Grandmama stood up and bowed awkwardly to him. He smiled and bowed back. She sat down again, picking up a spoon to feed the little boy. "And this is Julien, Amoura's little brother." Grandmama turned and gestured to the two seated on her other side. "This is Franz, whom you've met, and this is Annalee, our maid. I trust you met Jacques on the way in?" 

Bakura nodded. "I did, thank you ma'am." He took a seat and held up his plate for Franz to dish him up a couple pancakes. Madame smiled at him. "You're so polite! Unlike that friend of yours, Yami..." 

"Heeey..." Yami said as he walked in, shooting a glare at Madame. She just smiled innocently as Yami took a seat next to Bakura. Yugi entered a minute later, still rubbing his eyes, and finally Tea came in, with Amoura and Jacques right behind her, both carrying another load of pancakes. Throughout the meal, Bakura kept watching Jacques, who was watching Annalee. Wondering what was up, Bakura filed it away as something to ask Amoura about later. After all, it was none of his business, after all. 

After breakfast (which was really more like lunch), everyone went off to do their own thing. Yugi and Franz adjorned to the livingroom for their promised duel, with Amoura nearby in case any translation was needed. At the same time, Amoura and Tea were playing with Amoura's little brother, Julien. Yami settled down with a good novel, while Bakura started writing a letter back to Ryou, sending him Amoura's address like he'd promised. Annalee went to clean house with Valeraine helping, and Jacques watched the duel, convincing Franz that he got to play winner. 

Eventually, as could be predicted, Yugi won and Jacques fetched his own deck to battle against the holder of Time. Unfortunately, Yami had lost intrest in his book and was down on his knees pointing out good cards and combos to the Frenchman. With their combined effort, they defeated Yugi just as Madame walked in the room. 

"Aha!" She yelled, pointing at Yami. "I knew you'd have to be able to duel! After all, your brother's reigning champion! All right then, I challenge you!" 

Yami was a little surprised at that, but quickly rose to the bait as Yugi discreetly passed him their deck. "All right then Madame Amanda, I except your challenge." The two of them sat down on either side of the coffee table, while Amoura ran to find her mother and Annalee. This was going to be a duel to remember. Even Tea, who wasn't intrested in dueling other then the fact that most of her friends did it, wandered over to watch. 

Placing their decks down on the table and agreeing that Bakura would referee and Amoura would translate for the French, Yami and Madame glared at each other. 

"DUEL!" 

~*~

Bandit Keith pounded on the dashboard of the van, cursing in colourful ways. Why did the stupid van have to break down now, here of all places! The middle of nowhere... Great. He was stranded in China with a bunch of rowdy and potentially horny teens, with a broken down bus. Just peachy... 

He was banging his head rhythmaticly on the steering wheel when someone tapped on his window. Rolling it down, he came face to face with a buxom young woman with long, luxurious black hair and the skimpiest dress he'd ever seen. 

"Well hel-lo!" he said, his eyes bugging out of his face. 

Figuring out the he spoke only Japanese (and English, but that wouldn't have helped any) she said haltingly "Need place to stay, yes? Amazons too too willing have you stay there!" She smiled cutely, and Keith was sold. 

"More like you? I'm in!" 

~*~

"Wow!!" 

Gwen's house, while no where near on par with Kaiba's or even Amoura's, was big. It had to be, what with her huge extended family. And what's more, it was backed up right against the beach, with the Pacific Ocean roaring in their ears. Gwen whooped in delight and threw her bags down right inside the door, racing for the room she shared with Kris, who was already way ahead of her. Josh wasn't far behind. 

For the duration of their stay, Malik and Ishtar would be sharing the guest room, and Hiro would be staying with Josh, the only one of the kids to have his own room. 

"Gwen, where are you going?" Hiro yelled. He didn't get an answer, but a moment later Josh slid down the banister in swim trunks. He looked at the three of them for a moment, and then gestured at himself. "Yeah, we have swimsuits. Gwen told us to bring them. Why?" 

Gwen came down the stairs then, at a rather more sedate pace then her brother. Hiro stared and his eyes nearly fell out. Not to mention Malik and Ishtar, who hadn't seen a girl in that little clothing since Ishtar had walked in on the nuns. Gwen was in a pink and yellow Hawaiian print tankini, with a towel over one shoulder. Kris, in a blue one-piece, wasn't far behind. "Well, get into them then!" Gwen said, hopping impatiently from one foot to the other. "I haven't been surfing in almost a year, and I _gotta_ go hit the waves!!" 

"Surfing?" Malik asked. "You surf?" 

Gwen looked at him funny. "Of course. Living this close to the ocean and _not_ surfing? That'd be... Insane! We've got tons of boards in the garage. Why, never surfed before?" 

Malik and Ishtar shook their heads. Hiro, having surfed once or twice on the beaches of Japan, was already rummaging through his bag, looking for his trunks. "_Never_ surfed?" Gwen asked, slightly bug-eyed. "_Where_ are you from that doesn't surf?" 

"Egypt." 

"Ah..." Gwen sweatdropped. "That would explain it, then..." 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *twitches* 

Ryou: >> Short chapter my foot... 

WSJ: *twitches more* Don't blame me... 

Ryou: X( I blame you... 

**Chapter 3**: WSJ: (Voice-over) Lots of action coming your way! Surfing... 

Malik: Cowabunga! 

Hiro: Bwah! 

American beach bunnies: *drooling over Malik* 

WSJ: (V/O) Duels... 

Yami: I call out the Dark Magician! 

Grandmama: *smirking* Magician of Black Chaos! 

WSJ: (V/O) Spars... 

Ranma: Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!! 

Tenchi: *pauses* Chesnuts? 

Ryou: Hyaa! 

WSJ: (V/O) Fights for real... 

Usagi: *gasps* It's after Rei! 

Duke: *charging into battle* REI-CHAN!!!! 

Daimon: Now what do we have here? 

WSJ: (V/O) Or maybe not... 

Serenity: Sakura! 

Sakura: Serenity! 

Both: BAKA YAROU!!!!!!! 

Miaka: *sweatdrop* Ummm... 

WSJ: (V/O) And through it all, someone gets drunk. 

Joey: *slurred* Whazzat? 

WSJ: (V/O) Or two... 

Scott: *totally plastered* Whooie! 

WSJ: (V/O) *sweatdrop* Or four... 

Duo & Tamahome: *leaning against each other and singng baudy songs* 

WSJ: (V/O) *coughs* All this and more on the next episode of _Home Sweet Home_! 

I'm trying out a new way to preview the next chapter. Like? Should I just go back to the old way of listing off events? *sweatdrop* And don't forget the question from the beginning of the chapter. Should I pair off Duke with one of the Senshi? 

God bless minna-san! 


	3. No Need For Fighting!

WSJ: *scratches head sheepishly* Oy vey, do I have some explaining to do... *takes a deep breath* Okay, here we go. You learned the Sailor Moon backstory last chapter, so here's a few others. If you don't need them, just skip over. Oh, and some people are requesting that I add in other animes, such as Inuyasha or Rurouni Kenshin. My answer to that is probably not. I'm trying to stick to characters that live in or around modern-day Tokyo. 

Oh yes, and for whoever asked: I saw Rurouni Kenshin Saturday night at 9:30 Ohio-time on Cartoon Network. ^~ 

One more note: Adult Swim rocks!! Go Trigun! 

**Ranma 1/2**: Probably the most famous thing about Ranma is that he's cursed. When splashed with cold water, he turns into a girl, and hot water changes him back. I don't intend for anything about his curse to show up here though, he's just a background character. 

The second most famous thing about Ranma is that he's a martial artist. Think DBZ martial artist. Not only can he jump high, punch hard and all that crap, he can throw special energy attacks called 'ki blasts'. Ki is basicly a person's spirit and will-power, what I call their aura. His most famous attack is probably the Tenshin Amaguriken, or "Chesnut Fist". It allows him to use his ki to throw super-fast punches, usually as many as a hundred in one second! Since he trains in these types of attacks, over the years his aura has grown, which is why Ryou and Tenchi both commented on how big it was. The flip side of this is that Ranma has also learned to sense auras. 

Another thing about Ranma is that he has at least three fiancees. His dad's a bit of a nut-case, and engaged him to two differnt girls while he was only a little kid. Later on Ranma met and defeated a Chinese Amazon named Shampoo in fair combat, and the Amazon laws state that now Ranma has to marry Shampoo, gaining him his third fiancee. The other two are Akane Tendo (who's generally excepted as the one Ranma really loves) and Ukyou Kounji. 

The Chinese Amazons, whom Keith will be dealing with over the summer, are just that: Amazons. They train in all forms of martial arts and armed combat. And they don't like men very much, unless as mates. They judge men by their strength, not by their character or intellegence. 

**Fushigi Yuugi**: You won't need to know much about FY, but I'll tell you a bit anyway. Miaka Yuuki was just a normal junior higher until she got sucked into another world through a book. There she became priestess to the god Suzaku and had to go on a quest to find her seven guardian warriors, of which Tamahome is the first. The others are Tasuki (a womanizer with a temper as red as his hair), Mitsukake (a healer with a sad past and an affinity for cats), Chichiri (a blue-haired monk who wears a mask to hide his scarred face and tragic past), Hotohori (the emporer of the land who falls in love with Miaka), Nuriko (a gay, cross-dressing man who loves Hotohori), and Chiriko (a genius kid who's smarter then he looks). Anyway, long story short, Miaka defeated the evil Nakago, who'd captured her best friend Yui. Miaka then had to go back to her world, but was able to bring Tamahome, whom she'd fallen in love with, back with her. They're still able to keep in contact with everyone else in the "book-world", or at least that's how I interpret the end of the series... 

**Tenchi Muyo!**: Jeez, this one's almost as complicated as Ranma 1/2... ^^; Okay, where to start... (By the way, I'm using _Tenchi Universe_ as the basis for this, because Kiyone's my fav character and we don't see her anywhere except _Universe_. ^^;) 

Tenchi Masaki was just a normal teen. Emphasis on was. The day that Ryoko crash landed near his house was the day his life went to hell (or heaven, depending on who you talk to). Ryoko was a space pirate, and had been shot down by a Galaxy Police Officer named Mihoshi. Mihoshi's ship gets destroyed, and she attempts to send a distress signal. It's picked up by Princess Ayeka of Jurai, who's returning from some peace talks. 

Ayeka comes down to earth, but it turns out that she and Ryoko have met before and there's some bad blood between them. Both of them go up into space in their ships and do battle. No one's hurt, but in the process both ships are destroyed and Ayeka, Ryoko, and Mihoshi are stranded on earth. They deside to stay with Tenchi. Both Ryoko and Ayeka are beginning to develop feelings for Tenchi. 

Enter Sasami, Ayeka's little sister. She arrives to rescue them all, but through a weird twist of fate her ship is destoryed as well and she joins the crew at Tenchi's house. Also around this time it's discovered that Ryoko's ship was actually alive, and it's now been reborn into a sort of cat/rabbit thing called Ryo-Ohki. 

Tenchi's grandfather, Yosho, who lives at a shrine near Tenchi's house, tells them about a goblin/demon thing that was sealed in a cave nearby. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Ayeka go to see the cave, and Ryoko and Ayeka start to fight again (they fight almost every episode for one reason or another). In the process they accidentally let out the "demon", which is actually an exiled mad scientist, Washu. She too moves into Tenchi's house. 

Kiyone, Mihoshi's partner, is sent to look for her, and she joins everyone as well. The gang have a ton of adventures together, and eventually are joined by two knights of Jurai, Azaka and Kamidake, who are sworn to protect Ayeka. Yosho is revieled to be the legendary lost prince of Jurai, Ayeka and Sasami's half-brother. 

So now the gang's complete. All six of the girls are speculated to be in love with Tenchi, in one way or another, but Ayeka and Ryoko are the main rivals. 

Anyway, since Tenchi's grandfather is a Jurain prince, he has power that was passed down to him from that line. He has a sword (which is also named Tenchi. I'll refer to it as the Tenchi-ken) that is somewhat like a lightsaber, and can summon shields of energy, as well as toss out energy blasts. ^~ Which is why he has such a big aura, and he can sense auras. Yosho is also a Shinto priest, and would be able to sence great levels of power, aka Ranma and Ryou. *^^* 

Goodness, how complicated. >> That's enough material for a chapter all its own right there... Ah well, on to the real chapter! ^^ 

WSJ: *grinding her teeth and glaring at Eternal Duelist Soul* Ryou. Does. Not. Say. HOWDY!!!!!! 

Ryou: ^^;; 

WSJ: Grrr... 

Disclaimer: WSJ doesn't own YGO, TM!, GW, FY, R1/2, or anything else mentioned. Brood owns Amoura, Amoura's family, Lisa, and Yunet, SJ owns Gwen, Hiro, Scott, Raiden-san and various others. 

Just to let ya'll know, I am a firm Miaka/Tamahome shipper, as ya'll saw last chapter. ^~ Other couples that I'm a fan of that I just may throw in include Tenchi/Ryoko (sorry to all Ayeka fans, but she annoys me!!), Sakura/Li, Ranma/Akane, and Duo/Hilde. ^~ For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, just ignore it. ^o^\\// 

Someone asked me if I've ever been surfing. No, I haven't, but I'd love to try. ^^ I plan to honeymoon somewhere with surfing. ^^; I wanna suuuurf... It looks so fuuuun... *grins sheepishly* Okay, enough whining, I'll get to the fic now... 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 3: No Need For Fighting! 

_Quote of the chapter:_

"Good grief, it's like fighting myself, only... not."   
~(Me, dueling Isis on Eternal Duelist Soul (her deck is almost exactly the same as mine))

Dedication:  
To BM & J. May you find love. 

Serenity was busy writing a letter while Miaka finished unpacking up in their hotel room. There were only two beds, so Miaka and Serenity had agreed to switch who slept on the floor every night. That is, if Sakura agreed. Serenity somehow doubted she would, especially if it meant sleeping on the floor while Serenity got a bed, even for one night. Serenity and Sakura had never been best of friends, and were really only a step away from worst of enemies. 

Miaka stowed the last of her shirts into a drawer, and wandered over to look over Serenity's shoulder. "Who're you writing to?" 

"My boyfriend Ryou." Serenity said, smiling a little as she mentioned his name. "I'm giving him the address of the hotel and its phone number, so he can call me if he needs to. I'm also telling him I love him, I miss him, you know, all that stuff." 

Miaka smiled. "How adorable! I'm going to have to meet this guy." She sighed dreamily and her eyes went unfocused. "You know, I was just about your age when I first met Tamahome... A little younger, actually. How old are you now?" 

"Sixteen." Serenity said, signing her name at the bottom of the letter and reaching for an envelope. 

"I was fourteen." Miaka said, and sighed again. "That seems like so long ago... I wonder how Hotohori and the others are doing?" 

"Hoto-who?" Serenity asked, turning around in her chair to face her cousin. 

Miaka grinned. "Hotohori. He's a friend of mine and Tamahome's, but he had to, ah, move away. He was in love with me, in fact I think he still is, but it was either him or Tamahome, and Tama's the one I love." 

"That's so sweet..." Serenity smiled. "Yes, you'll definately need to meet Ryou. Hold on, I think I have a picture of him around here somewhere..." As she rumaged through her purse, there was a knock on the door. Miaka went over to answer it, only to find Sakura Kinomoto on the other side. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and a suitcase was sitting on the floor outside. "Hi Miaka-chan!" 

"Sakura-chan! It's good to see you!" 

"Aha!" Serenity immerged from behind the door and handed Miaka a picture of her and Ryou that'd been taken last Christmas. "That's him." 

Sakura frowned as she saw Serenity. Looking over Miaka's shoulder at the picture, she asked "Who's the albino guy?" 

"He is _not_ an albino." Serenity hissed, her eyes narrowing. "He's my boyfriend, the sweetest guy in the world, and the best martial artist ever. Don't tell me you've never heard of Ryou Bakura?" 

"Sorry no," Sakura said. "And it just so happens that it's _my_ boyfriend who's the best martial artist ever. Li could beat that white-haired dodo any day!" 

"Oh no..." Sencing impending doom, Miaka backed out the door and into the hall as Sakura and Serenity got into a screaming match. Then again, this was nothing new. They always seemed to find something new to fight about. 

"Agh, call in the national guard, they're at it again!" Miaka turned around to see Scott, Joey, Tamahome, and their step-cousin Duo Maxwell coming down the hall. "Hi guys, what's up?" 

"We were wondering if you wanted to come out to dinner with us." Scott said, sweatdropping. "But I guess Sakura and Serenity-chan are busy..." 

"And maybe hit a few parties afterward - " Duo was cut off as both Joey and Tamahome hit him across the back of the head. 

"Baka Maxwell..." Tamahome muttered. "The girls are too young to drink." 

"Owwie!" Duo cried, holding the back of his head in pain. "I thought I was getting _away_ from Wufei[1] for a few weeks..." 

Joey sighed as he peeked into the hotel room. He quickly had to pull it back to avoid being hit with a flying shoe. "Hey," Miaka frowned. "Those are mine..." 

The fighting had escalated, and the group outside sweatdropped. "Shall we go?" Tamahome asked, taking Miaka by the elbow and beginning to lead her away. Everyone else nodded enthusiasticly and sprinted for the elevator as the cat fight continued behind them. 

~*~

The fight was absolutely amazing. Tenchi, Ryou, and Ranma had been going at it for fifteen minutes already, and none of them showed any signs of tiring out. All three were throwing punches and kicks faster then the eye could see, their auras sprung so high that they were visible as a glow around them. Ryou's silver-white, Tenchi's bright purple, and Ranma's blue. 

"This is amazing..." Raiden-san said, his eyes wide. "I had no idea Ryou or Ranma were so powerful!" 

"It's the stuff legends are made of." Yosho agreed. "If any of these three set their mind to it, they could probably destroy the world." 

"I'm glad they're on our side." Akane noted, over-hearing him. Sasami and Raiden-san nodded in agreement. 

Suddenly one of Ranma's kicks got through, sending Ryou blasting backwards and through the wall of the dojo, out onto the street beyond. He wasn't hurt, and was back on his feet in an instant, beconing the other two to come outside. "We shouldn't damage the dojo." he said. "I'll fix the hole later Raiden-san! Gomen nasai!" he added. 

Nodding, Tenchi and Ranma followed him outside, where a crowd was beginning to gather. Out here in the open, the boys didn't have to be so careful. Ryou released his full aura, which burst into existance around him like a small, white-hot star. Ranma did as well, his pig-tail flapping behind him. Tenchi fell into a strange stance and muttered some words the others couldn't hear, powering up into his Jurain battle armor. The other two raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. 

"Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Releasing his Chesnut Fists technique, Ranma aimed at Ryou. The telepath grunted as several blows landed before he was able to teleport away. Watching him disappear and reappear several feet up, and float there, Tenchi blinked. "Hey, you're not a space pirate or an alien prince or anything like that, are you?" [2] 

Ryou face-faulted briefly. "_No_! I'm a telepath!" 

"Ah." Tenchi said, then something seemed to dawn on him. Slowly he grinned. "What say we kick it up a notch?" 

"How so?" Ranma asked, eyeing Ryou, who was still hovering five feet off the ground. 

Still grinning, Tenchi pulled what looked like a small stick out of his belt. He concentrated for a moment, and a blade of pure energy sprang to life above it. "Hey," Ranma asked. "What's with the lightsaber?" 

"That is the Tenchi-ken," Yosho explained from the sidelines. "It is a legendary sword that has been in my family for generations. Tenchi I warn you, don't hurt them with it. Neither of them are armed!" 

Ryou snorted. "Speak for yourself." He gathered a ball of energy in his left hand and fired it toward Tenchi, who quickly put up a shield. Ranma grinned ferrily. "Don't worry about me either old man! I've fought Kuno and Mousse enough times to know how to dodge a blade." 

Now all three of them were grinning in a half-insane way. Tenchi charged at Ranma, the Tenchi-ken poised to strike. Ranma leaped out of the way and kicked hard at Tenchi's back, only to be knocked down by a blast from Ryou. Yosho, Sasami, Raiden-san, Akane, and the crowd of onlookers just stared with their mouths open. Never had any of them seen such raw power before! And the three combatants looked as if they were _enjoying_ it! 

Ranma's grin widened as he saw Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne push their way through the crowd to gape at him. Kuno was yelling at him from the side (although no one was paying him any attention, of course), and Ukyou was standing with Kasumi, looking confused. And, oh my! was that Nabiki circulating through the crowd and taking bets on the outcome of this little match? 

Tenchi had also spotted people he knew in the crowd. Ryoko was yelling at him to beat them good, while Ayeka looked rather nervous that Tenchi was fighting at all. Kiyone and Mihoshi were openly staring, and Tenchi was sure Washuu was watching from somewhere, even if he couldn't see her. 

Ryou chuckled slightly and waved at Kaiba and Rebecca from where they stood watching. Grampa and Mako and Tristan were in the growing crowd too, cheering him on. And was that - Oh hell! 

Diving down, Ryou grabbed Ranma and Tenchi by their collars and hissed "Kill the auras! There's a news crew coming this way!" 

Tenchi groaned in disappointment and echoed Ryou's thoughts. "Oh hell! I wanted to finish..." 

Ranma thought for a moment. "Meet me at the Tendo Dojo in Nerima in two weeks time. We can go all out there, no one will care. Residents of Nerima get used to it." Tenchi and Ryou nodded at him, and a moment later Ranma was gone, leaping over rooftops in the direction of Nerima. Tenchi winked at Ryou and banished his armor, sliding effortlessly into the crowd. Ryou quickly killed off the glow that was still hovering around him, then took to the skies, rocketing quickly toward the Game Shop, where he knew no news crews would follow him. 

By the time Channel 7 news arrived at the scene, nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be happening. An old man and a little girl with blue hair were shooing away a crowd, but no matter who they talked to, no one seemed to be able to tell them why the crowd had gathered in the first place. 

In the midst of this scene something happened that you readers may not have noticed. While cheering on their respective loves, Ayeka and Shampoo happened to meet. ^~ But of course, that story can be saved for another time. 

~*~

(WSJ: ....I hate the flu.... *pauses to sneeze* Gaaaah... ^^; I'm writing this at, like, midnight, because it's the only time I get peace and quiet!!! XP Anyway... Oh yeah, just a note here. ^~ Madame's deck is a mix between mine (which is spellcaster/fiend-based) and my sister's (which is warrior-based). Yami's deck is based completely around the one he uses on the Eternal Duelist Soul video game, with one exception. ^~) 

Yami chewed on his lower lip as he drew his first five cards. Mystical Elf, Dark Magician, Raigeki, Alpha the Magnet Warrior, and Monster Reborn. Well, since they were playing by Battle City rules, he couldn't bring out his Dark Magician without sacrifices. So... "I play a monster card, face down defence position [Mystical Elf], and I place another card face down [Monster Reborn]." 

Madame nodded, but she had a smug smile on her face. She glanced down at her own cards, then placed two face down in the magic field. "I call Neo the Magic Swordsman [1700/1000], in attack mode!" She then ordered her Swordsman to destroy his facedown monster, but the Mystical Elf was too strong, bringing Madame down by 300 life points right off the bat. [Madame: 3700/Yami: 4000] 

Yami drew his next card, which was one of his Summoned Skulls, and grinned quietly to himself. Madame really didn't know what she was getting herself into. "I sacrifice Mystical Elf to bring out my Summoned Skull! Attack and destroy her Magic Swordsman!" Madame growled as Yami brought her LP down further, her hand poiced over her deck. As soon as Yami declared his turn over she snatched for her next card. [Madame: 2900/Yami: 4000] 

She looked over her cards a moment, pondering her play. Bakura glanced over her shoulder and nodded slightly, then leaned over to get a look at Yami's cards as well. "I play a monster in defence position, and another card face down." That made three in her magic/trap zone. 

Yami frowned slightly and drew another card. His Buster Blader. That would be a help later on, he decided. "I also play Alpha the Magnet Warrior [1400/1700] in attack mode! Alpha, destroy her face down monster!" In that split second after he'd declared the attack, Yami regretted it. Why? Madame was grinning. 

"I activate my trap card, Mirror Force!" 

Yami cursed vibrantly in Egyptian (causing Bakura to snicker) as his Summoned Skull and Magnet Warrior got sent to the graveyard. 

"And flip-summon my face down monster to reveil Hibikime [1450/1000]! Hibikime, attack his life points directly." Yami growled and Madame smiled smuggly. [Madame: 2900/Yami: 3550] 

"You asked for it..." Yami muttered, drawing his next card, Big Shield Gardna [100/2600]. "I lay the monster I just drew in face down defencive, and I activate Monster Reborn." 

"Ah ah ah..." Madame said, her smile widening. "Sorry." She flipped over Magic Jammer, discarding one card from her hand to do so. Yami growled through gritted teeth, "Your move." 

Madame nodded, the smile on her face just infuriating Yami more. She glanced down at the card she'd drawn and nodded to herself. "I play Maha Vailo [1550/1400] in attack position. Maha Vailo, attack his face down card!" 

Yami's smug smile returned as she attacked his Big Shield Gardna, bringing her LP down further. "As dictated by the card's effect, I now have to switch Big Shield Gardna to attack mode." He did so, but it was immediatly destroyed by Madame's attacking Hibikime, leaving him defenceless again. [Madame: 1850/Yami: 2200] 

It was Yami's turn again, and he drew. Unfortunately, it wasn't the card he needed. He could, however, make do. He snickered, and played a magic card he'd had in his hand all along. "I play Raigeki, sending all your monsters to the graveyard." Madame hissed something in French that made Annalee gasp and Amoura blush, and Yami's smirk widened. "And I place a monster in defence mode." 

Madame frowned as she drew a card and glanced over her hand. Yami thought he caught a glimmer of a smile, but he wasn't sure. "I also place a monster in defence, just so you can't attack me, and I end my turn." 

Yami wondered what she was up to, but the next card he drew was the one he'd been waiting for, so it didn't matter anymore. Or did it? "I play Change of Heart, taking control of your face down monster. I sacrifice both monsters on my field to summon the Dark Magician, in attack mode, and equip him with Book of Secret Arts [2800/2400]! And I use him to attack your LP directly, which means I win!" Yami crowed, a pharoahly grin lighting up his features. 

Madame scowled, but flipped over her last trap card. "Sorry, no. Waboku protects me from damage this turn." She drew a card and smiled. "But now it's you who's going down. I play Dark Magic Ritual, and sacrifice the Witty Phantom and Labrynth Wall from my hand to bring out the Magician of Black Chaos [2800/2600]!" 

Tea, Amoura, Yugi, and Bakura looked at each other. Now Yami and Madame were at a stand still. Either one of them could win this game. Yugi and Tea, of course, were cheering for Yami openly. Bakura was a bit more subtle, but was still rooting for the pharoah to win. Amoura wasn't really sure which way to cheer. 

Yami and Madame weren't even aware of the spectators anymore. Both were entirely focused on each other. Briefly, Bakura wondered if he should go find some wild west showdown music to play. 

In the Shadow Realm, where they were waiting since this wasn't a magicly enhanced duel, the Magician of Black Chaos and Dark Magician looked at each other and sighed. 

~*~

She was just part of the background, blending easily into the crowded nightclub. If anyone noticed her at all, they noticed her melancholy expression and deduced (rightly) that she would rather be alone. She sat in a shadowed corner, wrapped up in her thoughts and her voluminous black trench coat. Staring down into her nearly untouched drink, she tried to ignore the pulsing music of the club and the rancious laughter of its patrons. 

She was a long way from home, but she didn't think anyone would miss her. No one ever did. Except... 

But she wasn't here to think about him. She was here to remember the _other_ 'him' in her life, the one who'd left her for good. Forever. For eternity. He. Was. Dead. 

Remembering that fact, she lifted her glass to her lips and drained it all in one go. He was gone. Dead. Forever. And even if she learned to love again, someday, there would always be that nagging feeling that maybe it could have been him instead. Maybe, if he'd just lived... 

And they'd parted in such bad blood. That's what hurt. But he'd protected her anyway, and had died for it. In a forgotten back alley in a stupid gang brawl, he'd died with no one to mourn him except her. No family, no friends, no one that cared but her. 

She was startled out of her contemplations when a burst of particularly drunken laughter caught her attention. Turning toward the bar, her eyes widened until they threatened to pop out of their sockets. She quickly pulled her coat tighter around her and turned up the collar, although the group at the bar probably wouldn't be able to see straight, let alone well, until tomorrow afternoon. 

The woman she didn't know. The two men on either side of her (one of which was nibbling on her ear) she didn't know either. But the final two members of the party she knew very well. In fact, one of them was the 'him' who was still alive. The one that would have missed her. If he was sober enough to tell she was gone, anyway. 

She stood up quickly and paid her bill, making sure to keep her face turned away from them, just in case. Quickly she slipped out the door into the cool Kyoto air, leaning back against the side of the building in sheer surprise. She stared up at the stars, trying to stop her heart from pounding and wondering if the kami had it out for her after all. "Joey Wheeler, what in hell's name are you doing in Kyoto...?" 

~*~

Joey giggled and leaned toward Duo, although he had to try a couple times before he actually grasped his step-cousin's shoulder. "Why don'tcha go see that little blond chickie in the tanktop?" 

Duo swung around on his stool, very nearly knocking both himself and Joey off their seats, and tried to focus on the girl Joey meant. "Whazza? Hilde-chan'd kill me." 

"Too late anyway..." Joey noted sadly as Scott stumbled up to said blond. 

"Hiya onna." 

The tanned, blond girl turned around, raising an eyebrow at Scott. "_Excuse_ me?" 

Scott slung an arm around her shoulder, not noticing how she wrinkled her nose at his breath. "Why don' you an' me go finda *hic* corner somewheres?" 

The girl, who looked about seventeen, looked disgusted and was about to say something when a man about eighteen wandered up. "Who's this loser Momo?" 

"Oh Kiley! Thank God!" the girl named Momo said, attempting without sucess to pry Scott's arm from around her. "Get this guy off me, please?" 

"You bet." Kiley, the man, said. He scanned the crowd for a moment, then waved an arm over his head. "Toji!" Another man, this one with red hair as opposed to Kiley's black, wandered over and glanced at Scott. 

"He bothing you Momo?" 

"Well duh..." Momo muttered, giving them both odd looks. 

"Pest extermination?" Toji asked, cracking his knuckles. 

Kiley grinned widely. "Hell yeah!" Together they took hold of Scott and began to drag him toward the door. Duo and Joey looked at each other as the barman began to come toward them. 

"Time to go?" Duo quirried. Miaka and Tamehome had disappeared, but both boys presumed they could take care of themselves, and neither really wanted to think about what possition(s) they'd find them in if they did go looking. 

Joey sweatdropped as Toji and Kiley tossed Scott uncerimoniously out the door, and drained his drink. "Hell yeah." 

(WSJ: *^^* If I may just break in here for a moment... Yay for _Peach Girl_! Kiley/Momo forever! ^~\\// Anyway...) 

~*~

The next morning, Ishtar woke around noon to find the Kennady house all but deserted. The only ones around were Gwen's dad, her aunt and uncle, and baby Jake. "Where'd everyone go?" Ishtar asked as he snagged a bagel from the counter, where the remains of a huge breakfast buffet were spread out. With eight kids plus, the Kennadys usually found it easiest to lay out as much food as could fit on the counter, and let everyone grab what they wanted. 

Gwen's dad looked up from where he was feeding the baby. "Everyone went down to the beach, I think. Why don't you join them?" 

"Thanks, I will." Ishtar said. He stuck the bagel in his mouth and climbed back upstairs to change into his trunks. Three minutes later he swallowed the last few crumbs around a yawn as he stepped onto the beach. As he did, something caught his eye and he stopped dead, staring. 

Hiro was laying on a beach towel in a pair of hunter green trunks, reading a manga of some sort with a surfboard stuck into the sand next to him. But that's not what Ishtar was looking at. 

Gwen's many siblings were all over the place, some building sand castles, some playing with other kids, some in the water. Gwen herself was just climbing out of the water in the tankini from yesterday. She fished a matching yellow and pink surf board out of the water and wandered over to plant it next to Hiro's, plopping down into the sand next to him and grabbing a spare towel to wipe the water out of her eyes. But that's not what Ishtar was staring at either. 

Gwen noticed him and laughed quietly, nudging Hiro in the side. "You sure slept late Ishtar. About time you joined us." 

"B-but - he - hikari - water... Bwah?" 

Gwen snickered again. "He's good, isn't he? He surfs like a natural! And to think this is only his first time..." 

Malik indeed looked like he'd been surfing all his life. His blond hair and deep tan only added credence to the fact. If Ishtar hadn't been living with him since he was ten, he would have never believed Malik had never surfed before today. The Egyptian was wearing a pair of skin-tight black trunks that looked like they'd been cut out of a wet suit. These were shorts that would have made Heero Yuy jealous, people! His hair was back in a high ponytail. 

He was apparently using one of Gwen's spare boards, a sweet black and red number. As Ishtar watched in awe and amazement, Gwen's brother Josh pulled along side Malik as they coasted in toward shore, and the two shared a high-five before jumping off their boards and into the waist-deep surf. 

As they reached the beach, several girls flocked around the Holder of Hatred and began squealing at him in English. Of course, neither Ishtar nor Malik understood, but it roughly translates to: 

"~Oh you're so good! Can you teach me?~" 

"~Teach you? Screw you! Wait, don't! Screw meeeee!!!~" 

"~Nooo! He's so hott! I want him!~" 

"~We all do hon, now back off!~" 

As the fangirls got into a brawl over Malik, Gwen pulled Ishtar down so he was sitting next to her and Hiro, a still semi-dumbfounded expression on his face. Hiro frowned and socked Gwen lightly on the ankle. "Stop drooling." 

"I'm not!" Gwen insisted, wiping a bit of mosture from the corner of her mouth. "It's water, okay? I was just swimming." 

Hiro and Ishtar both rolled their eyes. "Oh suuuure..." 

"Oh come on!" Gwen protested in her own defence. "He _is_ hot stuff! Any girl would fall for him. Where'd he get those sexy tattoos Ishtar?" 

Hiro choked, and Ishtar twitched slightly. "Our father." he said in a deadpan voice that said not to argue. 

But Gwen was a blond. 

"Oh, your father is a tattoo artist? Awesome!" 

"...." 

~*~

Rei gasped as she realized she was having the same dream again. Everything was stained red, like it was washed in old blood. The Sailor Senshi sans herself, Jupiter, Venus, Moon, and Mercury, were in front of her, frozen in stances of fear and fleeing. A giant wave of silent destruction was barreling toward them, and Rei watched as one by one her friends were destroyed. 

There were other statues, frozen people, around as well. She recognised her cousin Duke, and he held an auburn-haired girl protectively in his arms as he looked steadily toward somthing behind Rei's back, an expression of determination on his face. The girl looked like she was struggling to get away from him. 

Nearby Duke and the girl, three men stood together with looks of courage and hope on their faces. Like Duke and unlike the Senshi, they weren't looking at the coming doom, but were faced instead the other way, toward something behind Rei's back. The first of the men had hair that stuck almost straight up, as did the shorter man next to him. The third had shoulder-length spiked hair that was almost a pure white, even through the washed-out crimson overtones everything had taken. 

Suddenly there was a burst of light from behind Rei, and she spun around. This was undoubtably what the three men and Duke were looking at. Behind Rei stood a tall stone pillar, remenicent of the ones she'd seen on the Senshi's trip backward in time to the Moon Kingdom. A light was shining down on it from above, illuminating a sketchy figure that seemed to be only half-there. Hovering behind _him_ was another figure, this one female, with great wings stretching back from her, her hands resting lightly on the man's shoulders. 

Both of them were transparent, Rei had to squint to make them out. All she could see clearly were their eyes, one pair muddied and unclear, the other as sharp as an autumn sky. The man lifted one of his hands, and the wave of darkness ground to a halt. The man stayed motionless after that, but the woman with the wings turned to look at Rei. She didn't seem to speak, but Rei heard a voice and somehow knew it was hers. 

_'Fight the good fight, Sailor Senshi. We are with you. Find the Talismans to release the Messiah, and you will gain our help.'_

"Wait!" Rei tried to call. "Who are you?" But her voice echoed away into the darkness. The woman and man on top of the pillar flashed brightly, and for a moment Rei had the impression of three bright stars, and then they were gone. 

She groaned slightly as she woke up, only to find herself face-to-face with Usagi, who was also asleep, snoring, and drooling. Rei twitched slightly as she lifted her head off the table to find Ami, Makoto, Minako, and Duke staring at her oddly. She remembered that this was one of their study sessions for the high school entrence exams, and while it was normal for Usagi to fall asleep, it was almost unheard of for Rei. Since Duke was already a sophmore in college, he'd agreed to help them study for the high school exams, and it was beginning to turn out that his knowledge almost rivaled brainy Ami's. Already Duke and Ami had gotten into debates over American politics, English vs. American literature, and ancient Egyptian religion (something Duke knew a surprising amount about). 

"Are you all right Rei?" Minako asked. 

"Uh, yeah..." Rei said, trying to stifle a yawn. "I've just been staying up too late." 

Ami, Mina, and Makoto exchanged unconvinced glances, and Rei laughed falsely. "I'm fine, really! Let's get back to the books. Now where were we...?" 

After everyone else (except, of course, Duke) left, Rei changed into her red and white preistess clothes and headed for the shrine to pray. She didn't know what her reoccuring dream meant, but she was sure it was a vision of the future. If she had told anyone else about her dream, they would have been able to help, especially Duke. But Rei didn't know this, and didn't want to worry anyone, so she kept the dream to herself. 

Stepping down into the small courtyard at the front of the shrine, Rei chuckled quietly. Her pet crows, Phebos and Deimos, seemed to have taken a liking to Duke. Currently, one was perched in his hair, and the other was on his shoulder as he swept the courtyard. It was still strange to Rei to see her cousin in leather pants and a vest one minute, and in the blue and white robes of a Shinto priest the next. She didn't think he'd quite gotten the hang of the robes yet either, as every now and then he would trip over the pants. 

Leaning over the counter of the shrine, Rei pulled out one of the small wish papers that could be tied to the tree out in the courtyard so that the spirits could read and grant your wish. Leaning in farther to grab a pen, she wrote down her wish, peace, and sighed as she headed for the tree. It was a futile wish and she knew it, especially with the Daimons running around, but she had to wish, at least. 

As she tied her paper around one of the small branches of the tree, she noted out of the corner of her eye that Duke wasn't in the courtyard anymore. She didn't have time to speculate on it any more though, as the tree in front of her let out a burst of energy, nearly knocking her off her feet. She stared in horror as the tree shrunk, and grew arms and legs, and became a Daimon. One of the more normal-looking ones, actually. She looked human enough, if you ignored the purple skin and the giant bells in her hair. 

Rei gasped and gave in to her first reaction, which was to turn and run. The Daimon followed her, into the woods and through them, until they literally hit the wall that ran around the edge of the shrine property. Rei's hand dived into her robes, seeking out the special, hidden pocket she'd sewn in and grabbing her henshin wand. This was a time for Sailor Mars! 

The Daimon didn't give her time, however. Grabbing Rei's wrists, the Daimon dug her nails into the wall, leaving Rei'd hands pinned. Rei watched in horror as the Daimon's hands hardened into a rock-like substance, then broke off, leaving the hardened, rock-hands in the wall and growing new ones with what seemed like ease. 

The Daimon then opened the neck of her kimono a little farther, reveiling a black star tattooed onto her chest just at the base of her cleavage. _'She's going to steal my Heart Crystal!'_ Rei realized in horror. But no matter how she tried she couldn't free herself, and it was too late anyway. She watched as a bolt of black energy shot out of the star-shaped tattoo and hit Rei square in the chest. Oh, how it hurt! She'd seen other people get their Heart Crystals stolen before, but she'd never realized how much it _hurt_... 

A person's Heart Crystal was like their soul. They needed it to survive. It also acted as a sort of mirror, reflecting what a person was really like on the inside. The more pure and good-hearted they were, the more powerful and bright their Heart Crystal would be. Heart Crystals looked a little like ruby-coloured crystals, and floated of their own propulsion. There was a legend that the three most powerful of the Heart Crystals carried items of great power, not unlike the Millenium Items, only not as ancient and not nearly as powerful. To extract a person's Heart Crystal, you had to shoot a certain amount of dark energy into them. 

Unfortunately, the Daimon didn't have the time as something small and hard hit her in the side of the head. "Hey, what was that?" The Daimon's voice was high pitched and unnatural, but it _could_ speak. Looking around, it spotted a die by its feet. "What the-" 

Rei looked up weakly and groaned. "Duke..." 

"REI-CHAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Duke came running out of the forest and slammed into the Daimon with his shoulder, knocking it off its feet. It hissed at him as it jumped easily back to its feet, and now wary of Duke's attack. 

"Duke..." Rei whispered, which was about as much as she could manage. "Don't..." 

Duke didn't hear her, as he charged at the Daimon again, fists clenched. The Daimon avoided him and he threw assorted punches and kicks at her, and then the inevitable happened. Unused to the long robes, Duke tripped and fell headlong into the Daimon's arms. It smirked at him, and his eyes went wide in real fear. Picking him up by the back of his collar, the Daimon spun and threw him hard into a tree. 

Duke yelled in pain as he flopped to the ground. He coughed hard, and pulled himself to his knees. The Daimon walked up to him, snickering, and then threw a round-house kick that hit him in the side of the head, throwing him against the wall with a dull crack. Duke was, effetively, out of the fight. 

Minako, Ami, and Makoto had arrived just as Duke had first charged at the Daimon, and had watched the whole thing in horror. "That's it!" Makoto said finally, cracking her knuckles. "No one hurts Rei, or someone as incredably cute at Duke, and gets away with it!" 

"Yeah!" Minako agreed, pulling out her henshin wand and trying her best to ignore the smear of blood on the wall where Duke had hit it. "Nothing should happen to Duke to mar his sexiness!" 

Ami sweatdropped slightly as she pulled out her henshin wand. "For truth, justice, and cute boys?" she asked sarcasticly, but Minako and Makoto didn't seem to catch the tone of her voice. 

"Yeah!" they echoed. "For truth, justice, and sexy Duke!" 

All in all, it was probably a good thing that Duke was unconcious at this point. After all, he'd left one group of cheerleaders/fangirls back in Domino, and he wasn't too keen on gaining another. 

Unfortunately for them, all their yelling had attracted the Daimon's attention to them. Smirking, she shot what looked like long bamboo rods out of a small canister strapped to her back, and sent them flying toward the girls. Minako, Makoto, and Ami stared at them dumbly, until they got near and split into what looked for all the world like bamboo spider webs, tying all three girls to the trees behind them and rendering them unmovable. 

"This is all your fault Minako!" Makoto hissed. 

"My fault? You were the one yelling about Duke!" 

"Rei!" Ami's shout alerted the other two squabbling Senshi, and they finally looked away from Duke long enough to notice Rei's plight. Now that all her distractions were taken care of, the Daimon had gone back to shooting dark energy into Rei. "Oh no! It wants Rei's heart!" 

"Oh, where's Sailor Moon when you need her..." 

"Someone call for Sailor Moon?" 

Minako, Makoto, and Ami looked up to see Usagi, already transformed into Sailor Moon, standing above them with Luna at her feet. "All right! Sailor Moon!" 

"You won't get away with hurting Rei-chan like that you nasty Daimon! Moon Princess Hal-" 

Before Sailor Moon could call her attack and kill the Daimon, the Daimon was on top of her. Sailor Moon gasped in surprise as her sceptre was knocked out of her hands. The Daimon pinned her against a tree, her hands and feet hardening and pinning her there, just as they had Rei. To Sailor Moon's increased surprise, the Daimon closed its mouth around her broach, biting it in a fanged grip. Like her hands, her face hardened into stone, and when it pulled back the face detached, and the Daimon grew a new one. 

Sailor Moon watched in horror as her broach deactivated, chaging her from Sailor Moon back to plain old Usagi. Tuxedo Kamen, when he arrived, was quickly taken down by the same sort of webbing that held Minako, Makoto, and Ami. Now that all those who'd tried to fight her were down for the count, the Daimon was finally able to turn its attention back to Rei. One last burst of energy and a brief scream, and Rei's Heart Crystal was floating in front of her. Rei went silent, and her skin took on a greyish cast. 

The Daimon chuckled evilly, and reached for the Crystal. Before it could close its hands around it, however, two balls of brightly coloured energy, one aqua and one gold, came out of no where and crashed into the Daimon. It screamed, and then was gone. The Heart Crystal floated up into the trees, where two shadowy figures sat. They examined it for a moment, then tossed it back toward Rei. Only Luna and Artemus, who had arrived just behind Luna and Usagi, noticed as the shadowy figures lept away. 

When the Daimon had died the stone hands and webbings holding the Senshi imprisoned had vanished. Rei slumped to the ground, and Usagi was the first to reach her. All four Inner Senshi dropped to their knees beside their fallen Mars as Usagi tried to wake her up. "Come on Rei, wake up! Please Rei, we need you with us!" Without prior warning, her Heart Crystal floated toward her and disolved, merging back into Rei's body. The colour returned to her cheeks, and after a moment she opened her eyes. The Inner Senshi almost cried in relief. "Rei, you're all right!" 

"Senshi!" All five girls turned at Luna's shout. Luna, Artemus, and Mamoru were kneeling next to Duke, who had yet to wake up. Rei's eyes widened until they threatened to burst out of her skull, and she struggled out of Usagi's grip. Although still weak, she managed to make it to Duke's side before any of the other shell-shocked Senshi could. 

"Duke!" 

~*~

Yami drew a card, and his grin widened. "You played a good game Madame, but I shall be the victor. I use Horn of the Unicorn to power up my Dark Magician further [3500/3100], making him strong enough to defeat your Magician of Black Chaos." He did so, leaving Madame growling. [Madame: 1150/Yami:2200] 

"And," Yami added, selecting another card from his hand. "I play Gemini Elf, which, I believe, wipes out the rest of your LP." 

Tea, Yugi, and Bakura celebrated quietly as Madame leaned over the coffee table, growling at Yami's face, "Don't think this is over." 

"Oh, indeed, I know it isn't." Yami said, smirking and crossing his arms. "Not by a long shot." 

~*~

"Everyone, I think he's waking up!" 

Duke groaned and opened his eyes to be greeted with the relieved faces of five girls, a man, and two cats. "Rei-chan, you're all right..." he said, sighing in relief. 

"Me?" Rei asked, trying not to let how utterly happy she was show. "Duke, we were all worried about _you_!" 

"Me?" Duke asked, puzzled. "Whazzat?" 

Ami, who had the most medical knowledge out of them, pursed her lips and began to tick things off on her fingers. "Two broken ribs, another two cracked, fractured collar bone, any number of twisted joints, and a minor concussion. You've been out for three days and you'll be in bed for at least another week." 

"What were you _thinking_, going against that thing?!" Minako burst out at Duke blanced at his list of injuries and realized that that was why he hurt all over. 

Duke smiled sheepishly. "I couldn't help it... Rei was in trouble, I couldn't just sit there and watch! Double trouble, since she couldn't henshin in time to fight as Sailor Mars." He didn't notice everyone's shocked expressions as he went on. "So, Usagi, I take it you got there in time to get rid of it before it could really hurt Rei?" 

Usagi blinked, trying to recover from the shock of Duke knowing their other identities. "Um, well, I guess you could say that... How do you know who we are Duke?" 

"What? Oh, that? A couple of friends of yours hinted at it, and I figured out which of you was which by myself. Has anything happened since I've been knocked out?" 

"One thing." Makoto said, leaning back in her chair. "We had another battle, and Usa-chan got another attack!" 

"And there's two other imposter-Senshi out there." Minako added, scowling slightly. 

"Don't scowl like that Mina-chan, it wrecks your beauty," Duke said absently. He and Mamoru engaged in conversation as Minako and Makoto began to squabble over the fact that Duke had paid Minako a compliment, whether he meant to or not. Ami, Luna, and Artemus sweatdropped. 

"Well, I guess it's too much to hope for that Minako and Makoto wouldn't go after the same guy... Again..." Artemus noted. 

Duke choked. "Gah! Talking cat!" 

Artemus and Luna looked at each other and sighed. 

~*~

[1] Wufei is one of Duo's friends and fellow Gundam pilots. Duo annoys him, and Wufei is constantly calling him "Braided Baka" or "Baka Maxwell". 

[2] Tenchi seems to attract weird things, like space pirates and alien royalty. ^~ 

()()()()() 

WSJ: Oo;; ....LONG chapter! *jibbers madly about the sheer SIZE of it* 

Ryou: ^^;; 

WSJ: ^o^ Writing the Sailor Moon section was fun today! You know, I've always wondered where Yuuchiro and Jiisan were during that episode. Out buying groceries, or what?! *shrug* Anyway, I love the way Duke attacked the Daimon with dice. *chuckles* Mwaha. Thank you for all being patient about this chapter, I'll try and be quicker about the next one. 

**Chapter 4:** WSJ: Well, we've got letters flying all over the world! Let's take a peek at some, shall we? 

Ryou: (V/O) I miss you a lot, but then, I guess you already knew that. 

Duke: (V/O) If you get a chance, come on down to Juuban. There's some really intence stuff going on here that I think you'd be intrested in. 

Yugi: (V/O) Yami and Amoura's grandmother are at each others' throats constantly! I don't know how much more I can take! 

Isis: (V/O) You'll never believe what we've found! You _must_ come visit us! Plane tickets are enclosed. 

WSJ: *chuckles* All this and more on the next Digimon: Digital - I mean... YGO: Home Sweet Home! ^~ Ja! 

God bless minna-san! 


	4. Letters: Egyptian Discovery

WSJ: ^o^ Huzzah! *does a happy dance* 

Ryou: What are you so chipper about? 

WSJ: :D Jeskan's going to be okay!!! 

Ryou: ?_? Who? 

WSJ: ^^ Jeskan, a friend of Brood's who had to have heart surgery a few days ago. But he's going to be all right! 

Ryou: ^^ That is good news. 

WSJ: I know! Yay! ;) Anyway, I'd better get on to the fic. Hopefully, this chapter won't be _nearly_ as long as the rest. 

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. Amoura, Lisa, Amoura's family, and Yunet belong to Brood. Gwen, Hiro, Scott, and various others belong to me. 

*sighs happily* What a night. Chex Mix, iced tea, and the _Cats_ soundtrack. What could be better? *grins and begins to sing along with what she's dubbed "Malik's Song"* Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity... 

*cough* I need a bit of help. Does anyone know Orgoth the Relentless's Att/Def points? *sweatdrop* Not for this story, I need them for my Otogi-centered story _Of Cards and Dice_. *pout* No one ever writes about Otogi-kun... 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 4 -- Letters: Egyptian Discovery 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

"Magical forces so powerful the Egyptians lost control of them and nearly destroyed the entire world."   
"The best part is how it's all documented by history!"   
~(Pegasus and Yuugi; DarkGatomon, As If!) 

Dear Serenity, 

Hi. How's Kyoto? I'm glad you're not going to be away for the whole summer, like practically everyone else is. You'll be back in a few weeks, right? 

Joey and Scott driving you crazy yet? I hope not. ^~ 

Things around here have been rather boring. Oh! Except for what I'm using to write this! *grin* Kaiba put his minds together and invented me a braile keyboard with a printer, so I can write letters. But that's not the best of it. It has a screen that's sorta like electric jelly. It molds itself into braile, so I can run my fingers over it and "read" whatever's on the screen. It still has a few bugs, but Kaiba's promised he'll work on them. I've already gotten a couple e-mails from dad, and it works great! 

So what have I been doing with my time? Well, let's see... As I think I told you, I'm helping out at Raiden-san's dojo. I _thought_ I'd be just helping with chores and cleaning up and such, but it turns out that Raiden-san wants me to help _teach_. So I've got a class of about fifteen kids to work with over the summer. 

And guess what. Mokuba, Lisa O'Kelley, and Rebecca are all in my class. ;>> Lisa and Mokuba are constantly at each others' throats, and Rebecca keeps trying to flirt with Mokuba, even though he's completely oblivious. XP I don't know if I'll survive this summer or not... 

A few of the kids are really cute though. When you get home, you _have_ to come with me and meet Sasami. She's so adorable! And Hikari's pretty cute too, for a kid. 

Sasami's guardian, a guy by the name of Tenchi, came to pick her up at the dojo after classes a few days ago. Raiden-san's nephew, Ranma, stopped by around the same time. Both of them are martial artists, so we had a practice match. They were really good, too. Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to finish. But we are going to have a rematch in two weeks at Ranma's place. Maybe you'll be home by then, so you can come watch? I hope so. 

I miss you a lot, but then, I guess you already knew that. I love you. See you in a couple weeks Serenity-chan. 

Yours, Ryou 

~*~

Dear Ryou, 

I'm doing great. No, Joey and Scott haven't driven me bonkers yet, although they came close two nights ago when they went out and got drunk. ;>> 

The one who _is_ driving me insane is my cousin Sakura. Grrr... She and I have never gotten along, but she had the nerve to insult you! Of course, I insulted her boyfriend right back, but... ^^; Suffice to say what followed wasn't pretty. 

Sorry, I won't be home in time for your rematch. I get home three weeks from Sunday, if all goes like we've planned. How about we meet at the Game Shop to catch up and visit with Mr Moto and Mako? 

I miss you too, and love you lots. Sorry this note is so short, but I have to get ready for the picnic this afternoon. Too bad you couldn't come with me, I think you would have liked Tamahome, cousin Miaka's fiance. 

Yours forever and a day,   
Serenity 

~*~

Dear Gwen, 

Hello from France! ^_^\\// How's California? Having good weather? Surfing lots? It's been rainy here, so we haven't had any time to go site-seeing yet, although Amoura's promised we will eventually. 

*exhasperated sigh* Yami and Amoura's grandmother, Madame Amanda, have been at each others' throats constantly. I'm not even really sure why! Bakura thinks it has something to do with their pride, about Yami being ex-pharoah and Madame being a high-born lady. I dunno, you'd have to ask him. 

Speaking of Bakura, maybe he should have gone to Cali with you. After all, you're the one with all the siblings. *_o; Did you ever imagine him as the type of person that's good with kids? Neither did I. But from day one, Amoura's little brother Julien latched onto Bakura. And Bakura doesn't mind! He actually likes the kid! Julien calls him "Baka" >> And again, Bakura doesn't seem to mind. It's getting a little scary, actually. 

For instance, a couple days ago, Bakura and Julien were out on the pourch. It wasn't raining for once, but it was wet out. Julien was running around in circles for reasons I can't remember, I think he was pretending to be an airplane or something. Anyway, he fell off the pourch and right into a mud puddle. Here's where it gets weird (if you've known Bakura as long as I have, anyway). Julien started crying, and Bakura fished him out of the puddle and put him on his lap, not even caring if his clothes got muddy, and started _rocking_ him and _singing_ to him! I swear, he did! Yugi and I were right there, we saw it! 

XP Here's the scariest part of all. Amoura walked outside at that moment, and she, of course, ran over to Julien, asking Bakura if he was all right. Bakura assured her that he was, he'd just fallen in the mud. Then Amoura grinned and said something along the lines of "You'll make a great father zomeday, Bak'ura." And Bakura _blushed_!!! 

By that time of course, Yugi and I were in severe mental shock. God, I can't wait to tell Ryou! He'll flip! I know Amoura likes Bakura, but could Bakura like Amoura? This is too weird. 

Anyway, I have to go. It looks like Yami and Madame are steaming up for another fight, and I don't want to miss it. Yugi, Bakura, and I are keeping a running tally. So far, out of six fights, Yami's won four and Madame two. Out of three Duel Monsters duels, Yami's won two and Madame one. So Yami's ahead, but Amoura seems sure her grandmama will make a comeback. We haven't gotten to the point of placing bets yet, but it'll probably come to that eventually. Care to toss anything in the pot? 

Whoops, must go, Madame just called Yami something nasty in French, by the way Amoura's wincing. See you later Gwen! 

Your friend from half-way around the world,   
Tea 

~*~

Gwen, 

I'm going to kill you! This is enough to make me turn psycho again!! Xo Why didn't you _tell_ us your dad spoke Japanese?!? 

~Ishtar 

~*~

Oops, did I forget to mention that? *laughs nervously* Who did you think taught me? ~Gwen 

~*~

*grumbles* No, that fact must have slipped your mind... Baka onna... [idiot woman] ~Ishtar 

~*~

Hiya Ryou. 

How goes the martial arts? *snicker* Stuck with Mokuba (not to mention Seto), and Lisa, _and_ Rebecca? I pity you. Much. 

What have I been doing lately? Well, let's see... What, you mean besides keeping track of the running score in the Yami/Madame fued? If they were closer in age I'd think they were fighting because they liked each other. Then again, Yami's only 5000, and who _knows_ how old Madame is. ^_^; Don't tell Amoura I said that, okay? 

;>> Who told you I'd been playing with Julien? Lies! All lies! I wouldn't care about a kid if it was stuck in sinking sand. Xo Ow! Don't hit me so hard Amoura, I was just kidding... 

Well, at the moment I'm in the middle of this really great novel called _The Eye of Horus_. It's pretty good. A few of the details of ancient Egypt are off, and they don't even _mention_ tomb robbers, but hey, no one's perfect. 

(WSJ: If I may butt into Bakura's letter... ^~ I am currently rereading Eye of Horus for the forth time. :p And I still love it. It takes place during the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (King Tutankhamen's reign, for those of you wondering), and according to Kazuki Takahashi the eighteenth dynasty is indeed when Yami ruled. Which is why Bakura would know if it was acurate or not, since he and Yami most likely grew up either just before or during Tut's reign) 

The rain's finally stopped, so Amoura wants us all to spend the evening in Paris. I'd better go get ready. See you at the end of the summer! 

~Bakura 

~*~

Ryou, 

Hi from Juuban! ^^ Okay, you're probably wondering why in hell's name I'm writing to you. I'm the last person you'd expect, right? 

Simply put, there's something strange going on in Juuban. I can't tell you everything, but there's a band of soldiers here called the Sailor Senshi trying their best to fight of what seem to _me_ to be Shadow Realm demons. Everyone around here calls them Daimons, but they sure look like demons to me. 

There's also two other soldiers, not part of the main group, who seem like they're bad guys. They call themselves Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, but they sure don't fight like Senshi. 

I know you have been fighting the Shadow Realm for years now, and I thought you'd like to know that there's apparently a new group attacking Juuban. I was near one of the fights recently, and I could have sworn I saw a Celtic Guardian ordering around the "Daimons". But... He didn't look quite right. He was just... I don't know, off somehow. 

If you want to come down here for awhile and check it out, you'd be welcome to stay at my cousin's shrine. ^~ Well, I just thought I'd let you know that something arcanic is _definately_ going on, and it seems a good bet that it's connected to the Shadow Realm in some way. 

Your friend,  
Duke Devlin 

~*~

Shen Bakura  
c/o Greece Antiquities Department

From Isis Ishtar  
Egyptian Buerau of Royal Antiquities 

Shen-san, 

We know you are on a dig in Greece, but from what Ryou has said it isn't turning up anything useful, and could even be called boring. 

We propose a much better way to spend your summer. We have uncovered what seems to be the door into a tomb, seals still in place and intact. Either we have discovered an unlooted tomb or the tomb robbers resealed it after them. And somehow, from talking to Bakura, I don't think that seems likely. 

Plane tickets are enclosed, and even as I write this Shaadi is composing a letter to the Greek Antiquities Service with a request that you be transfered to our dig. If all goes well, Soloman Moto and his old friend Arthur Hawkins will be flying to Egypt as well, and you should all arrive within an hour of each other. 

With luck, and if the carvings on the door are of any indication, whoever is burried here could very well be richer then King Tut. The carvings depict a figure who is undoubtably pharoah, and a tall figure behind him that is carrying a staff of some sort. It reminds me a little of the carvings in my collection, the ones with Pharoah Yami on them. Shaadi agrees with me that the figures look familiar, but neither of us can think how. 

Shaadi and I are holding off from entering the tomb until you and Moto-san and Hawkins-san get here, but I think Shaadi's about to go crazy from the wait, so I do hope you will get here soon. 

Yours, Isis Ishtar 

~*~

Dear Moto-san, 

Can you spare a little time from the Game Shop to come out to Egypt for a few weeks or months? Isis and I have uncovered what appears to be the door into an unlooted tomb. Yes, we know that for all purposes you are retired, but we felt it was wrong somehow to not include you in this find. 

Shen-san will be abandonning his dig in Greece and coming in to help us as well, so we hope you'll be able to make it. Can you imagine? The find of the century! And the names attached to it for years to come will be _ours_! We'll be as famous as Howard Carter, probably more so! 

;>> Isis just scolded me for trying to appeal to your greed. Alright then, may I appeal to your sence of adventure? I know you've probably had more then your share of life-threatening situations, but what about one more, eh? X( All right, all right, I'm sorry Isis... 

We hope you'll be able to come Moto-san. Plane tickets are enclosed, one for you and one for your friend Arthur Hawkins, if he is able to come. Isis and I would be honoured to have two such honoured archaeologists with us on this dig. 

~Shaadi 

~*~

Arthur, 

How do you feel about one more trip to Egypt? Up to the challenge of an unlooted tomb? ^~ Just make sure you bring some water this time. 

~Soloman 

~*~

Mr Mokuba Kaiba, 

Greetings. My name is Arthur Hawkins, I'm Rebecca's grandfather. As you may already know from Rebecca, I am an archaeologist by trade, from the top of my hat to the bottoms of my sand-caked boots. 

I recently recieved a letter from my old friend Soloman Moto, whom you are acquianted with, I believe. Some friends of his in Egypt say they have discovered something big, and they want Soloman and I to fly out and help with the excavations. I believe their names are Isis Ishtar and Shaadi something-or-other. 

I would love to be able to go to Egypt, but I'm afraid I can't take Rebecca with me. She has her martial arts classes, and my trip very well may last into the school year, if this discovery is as big as Soloman makes it out to be. 

So I have a proposition Mr Kaiba. Would you be willing to let Rebecca live with you while I am in Egypt? You'll be able to reach me easily if you need to. I know you and Rebecca get along well together, and I don't see any problem with letting her stay at a boy's house. If you have a problem, however, get in touch with me through the Tokyo U archaeology department, or through Soloman, either way. 

I need your answer, be it yay or nay, by next Wednesday. That's when Soloman and I are scheduled to fly out to Egypt. I appreciate it and thank you. 

Yours, Arthur Hawkins 

()()()()() 

WSJ: MWAHA! I was right when I said it wouldn't be as long! ^^ Heheh... *sweatdrop* Expect the next one to be reeeeeally long though... 

**Chapter 5:** WSJ: (V/O) Next, on Home Sweet Home! 

Ryou: Oh hell! Duke, _move_! 

Duke: Ahhhhh! 

WSJ: (V/O) Ryou takes a trip to Juuban, but it isn't just a friendly visit. Meanwhile, back in Domino... 

Seto: No way! Mokuba, you've lost it! 

Mokuba: Oh come on 'nii-sama, it's only for a few months! 

Seto: My point exactly! No no _no_! 

WSJ: (V/O) *grin* Seto doesn't exactly like the idea of Rebecca moving in with them. But she's going to have to, because Dr Hawkins is already on his way to Egypt. Speaking of Egypt... 

Soloman: *gasps* Isis I'm ashamed you didn't recognise this carving! 

Arthur: *peering at it* He's right Isis. This is clearly the Dark Magician. And look, that looks like your grandson, Soloman. 

Isis: That's not Yuugi, that's Pharoah Yami! 

Soloman: *blinku* You mean we've found Yami's tomb?! 

Shen: *studying another section of hiroglyphs* I don't think so Moto-san, but I think we _have_ found the tomb of some friends of his... 

Shaadi: *reading the hiroglyphs off the walls* Herein lie the most loyal servents of the Everliving Pharoah, the Morning and Evening Star, Son of Osirus, Horus on Earth, Master of the Shadow Games... 

*All five archaeologists turn toward the inner wall, where another, unopened door awaits them* 

WSJ: (V/O) *chuckles* Seems they have made a big discovery after all. In France, they're just chillin'. 

Yami: *brandishing a loaf of bread* On guard! 

Bakura: *snatches up another loaf and holds it out in front of him like a sword* You're on! 

WSJ: (V/O) *sweatdrop* Or not. All this and more, next time! Ja! 

God bless minna-san! 


	5. Penalty Games and French Bread

WSJ: ^^ Here we go all! Chapter 5, which includes something... intresting. *snicker* This time around, I think the French section was my favorite to write, even though it took me the longest. *shrug* It just... was. 

Ryou:.... 

WSJ: ^^;; Quee? 

Ryou:....I hate you.... 

WSJ: I know. You've said so before. 

Ryou:.... 

WSJ: *_* Anyway, expect updates to be coming farther apart. *sigh* I started school last Wednesday, which means less writing time. But on the bright side... *grin* I'm a freshmen now! *dances* Yay!!! >> The only bad thing is that daddy's making me take biology... *makes a face* Blah... 

Ryou: *sighs* Right. SJ doesn't own YGO. Most of the OCs are hers, while some are Brood's. You should know that by now. Duh. 

WSJ: You're a little cranky today. 

Ryou:.....A LITTLE CRANKY!?!? YOU -- MMPH! 

WSJ: *has her hand over his mouth* ^^; Don't give away this chapter's plot Ry-kun... 

Ryou: X* Mmmph mm mumph! 

WSJ: *slightly shocked* Ryou! Don't use such language! ^^;;; Anyway, on to the fic! 

Ryou: Gah! 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 5 -- Penalty Games and French Bread 

_"No, the lotus pads weren't made for you to stand on; that's why they sink when you do!"   
~(Espa Roba to one of his brothers; Kage NoTenshi; Dirt, Pebbles, and Dice)_  
(Quee!! I love this quote!!! *skips off to attempt to float on lotus pads*)

Seto Kaiba stared in shock through his little brother's eyes as Mokuba opened the door. When the doorbell had rung, Mokuba had raced down the stairs, practically killing himself in the effort to head off the butler and answer the door himself. "I'll get it!!" 

Seto really had no idea who could be so important. This morning Mokuba had spent over an hour slicking down his hair, only to spike it up again afterwards. An additional half-hour had been spent picking out his outfit (which looked scarily like one of Seto's, trench coat and all). Seto knew there were no business meetings today, and even if there were, they would be conducted at Kaiba Corp, not at the mansion. 

So Seto was not really surprised but incredably horrified when Mokuba opened the door to greet Rebecca Hawkins. The blond had several suitcases and a couple cardboard boxes by her feet, and looked like she'd come to stay. She had of course, Seto just didn't know it. 

"Rebecca!" 

"Hi Mokuba!" Rebecca turned around to wave at her grandfather, who waved back before pulling a U-turn in his car and heading for the airport. Arthur Hawkins was to meet Soloman there in half an hour, and then they'd fly out together for Egypt. Whatever this big discovery of Isis and Shaadi's was, they had the two retired men hooked. 

//Rebecca?!// 

Mokuba winced slightly. Rebecca was too busy waving good-bye to her grandfather, and didn't notice. /Ur, yeah... Did I forget to mention that?/ 

//Yes,// Seto said sourly, scowling mentally. //What is she doing here?!// 

Mokuba winced again. /...Staying for a few weeks... Or months... while her grandfather's on a dig./ 

//WHAT?!// 

/Nii-san, calm down! It's just Rebecca!/ 

//My point exactly.// Seto sunk into a stubborn silence, and Mokuba sighed. Seto could be so impossible sometimes. He could feel Seto in the back of his mind, a bundle of resentment and anger and a really big scowl. Mokuba sighed again, deeper this time, and Rebecca finally noticed. 

"Are you okay Mokuba?" 

Mokuba shook himself and picked up one of Rebecca's bags. "Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, I'll show you your room." 

//....// 

~*~

Shen Bakura lugged his carry-on bag off the plane and looked around the terminal. He couldn't help but smile as he took in the familiar sights and sounds of Cairo International Airport. This is where his heart was, in Egypt. He would have moved here to stay a long time ago if Ryou hadn't seemed so set on staying in Japan. 

"Shen-san! Over here!" 

Shen turned to see Isis waving him over. She and Shaadi were near the door, with a half-asleep Soloman Moto and half-asleep Arthur Hawkins next to them. Shen made his way over, and the five archaeologists began to weave their way through the crowds to baggage claim. "What's wrong with you two?" he asked Arthur and Soloman. 

Arthur yawned. "Red-eye flight from Japan, that's what." he grumbled. "Apparently Isis-san and Shaadi-san couldn't wait to show us this big discovery of theirs, and got us the first available tickets." 

Shen chuckled. "So I guess we won't be going out to the dig first thing?" 

"Oh, we will be." Shaadi assured him. "It's a long drive, and these two can sleep on the way. The dig's out in the middle of no where." 

Shen frowned. "Then why dig there?" 

Isis and Shaadi exchanged glances, and Isis's hand moved to her neck, where the Millenium Tauk rested. "Ah, right." Shen nodded. "I'd forgotten about that. Does the Tauk tell you what it is we've found?" 

Isis shook her head. "No, just that it's something important to Pharoah Yami." 

Shaadi nodded. "Once we find out exactly what it is, we may just have to call him down here to take a look at it himself." 

Arthur yawned again. "Fine with me, as long as we get to sleep..." 

~*~

"Ryou!" 

Ryou grinned as Duke came down the front stairs of the Hikawa shrine to greet him as he got off the bus. "Hi Duke. Mind helping me with my bags?" Duke grinned and nodded, picking up one of the two suitcases Ryou had brought. They started up the stairs, chatting about what they'd each been doing these past few weeks. They crested the top, and Rei waved at them from behind the shrine counter. 

"This is my cousin, Hino Rei," Duke introduced her to Ryou once they got closer. "Rei-chan, this is my good friend Ryou Bakura." 

"It's a pleasure to have you here Bakura-san." Rei said. "Fell free to make yourself at home. You'll have to share Yuuchiro's room with Duke though, I'm sorry." 

"It's okay Hino-san." Ryou assured her. "And please, call me Ryou." 

"All right Ryou-san, but only if you call me Rei." 

Ryou chuckled and nodded, but the trio didn't have a chance to say any more as the sound of laughing voices came from the shrine steps. Minako, Makoto, and Usagi walked up, and Mako and Mina practically started drooling. "So Duke, is this the friend you said was coming to visit?" Minako asked. 

Ryou nodded and smiled at them. "My name is Ryou Bakura. It's a pleasure to meet you girls." 

"The pleasure's all ours!" Makoto assured him, earning her a less-then-nice look from Minako. "My name's Kino Makoto, and this is Aino Minako and Tsukino Usagi." 

Ryou's face went funny as he tried to place something in their auras, and he twitched slightly. "I want you two to know right now that I have a koibito [sweetheart]." he said. 

"Oooooh..." Mina and Mako's faces fell, and Ryou snickered slightly. He leaned over to them and whispered, "But Duke's free." That perked them up again, and they smiled at each other. 

Ryou's face went serious, and to the surprise of all he turned to Usagi and bowed to her. "Lady Moon, you must tell me what you know of these demon attacks. Please, it's very important." 

The Sailor Senshi's eyes widened, and as one girl they turned to glare at Duke, who sweatdropped and held up his hands in defence. "I didn't tell him a thing, I swear! I invited him down because of the demon attacks, since Ryou's been fighting demons in his own way for years! I did tell him about the Sailor Senshi, but I didn't tell him that they were you!" 

Ryou chuckled quietly. "How could he? Even if he described you girls that wouldn't do _me_ any good. No, I know who you are on my own." 

For the first time, Minako, Makoto, Rei, and Usagi noticed Ryou's blind eyes. "But..." Usagi asked, confused. "How could you, if you can't see?" 

Rei hissed at her blond friend for being rude, but Ryou just smiled. "I'm what's known as a telepath. I can sence people's life forces, or auras. You girls each have exceptionally powerful auras, which gives away who you are, at least to me." 

"How about we all go inside and sit down." Duke suggested. "Then Ryou can explain to you why I really invited him here." They all migrated into Rei's room, where Duke finally noticed one absent. "Hey, where's Ami?" 

"She had an after-school cram session, but she should be here in awhile." Minako explained, tucking an errant strand of long blond hair behind her ear. 

Ryou nodded and sat back against Rei's bed, trying to think of how to explain exactly what he needed to. Artemus and Luna rubbed up against him and purred, and he stroked them absently. Suddenly he looked down at them with a slight frown on his face. "You aren't ordinary cats." Contrary to what most people would do, he'd spoken directly to them. The two moon cats looked nervously at the Senshi, who simply shrugged in responce. 

"Not exactly, no." Luna said carefully. To her surprise, Ryou didn't flip out like Duke had, he simply nodded. 

"Ah... How do I explain this..." He closed his eyes as he thought back to everything Fate and Bakura had ever told him. "Five thousand years ago, great games of terrible power were played. But these Shadow Games threatened to destroy the whole world..." 

It was nearly an hour later when he finally finished his story. Duke had already heard a good portion of it, and nodded here and there. After the first few minutes, the girls and their cats were hooked. He told about Yami and Bakura and the Millenium Items, and he told about his own trips to the Shadow Realm, the Locking Rituals, the Elementals, and his powers, the stories of which are already told elsewhere in this saga. 

"Hatred-sama, the guardian of the Rod, told me that the Shadow Realm would be increasing its activities this summer, but that I didn't have to worry about it because a group of fighters in the heart of Tokyo would be taking care of it. I think he must have meant the Sailor Senshi." 

"He did." Artemus spoke up. "Hatred-sama told us, Luna and I, that we would soon be getting help from someone he called "The Blind Child". I'm sure he meant you." 

Ryou nodded, and he smiled at the white cat. "Then you and Luna must be the guardians he said that he was in contact with. My Shadow Realm and your Dark Kingdom are most probably one and the same, and if Duke was right and he saw Rigel directing the Daimons, we may be in a lot more trouble then we think." 

"Ri who?" Makoto asked, frowning. 

"Rigel, one of the True Pharoah's generals." Ryou explained. "He looks like the Duel Monster Celtic Guardian, but he's really an evil spirit in Duel Monster form." 

Usagi looked around suddenly. "I hate to break up the discussion, but shouldn't Ami-chan be here by now?" 

"You're right." Luna mused. "I hope she's okay..." 

So suddenly that it startled all the others, Rei and Ryou both jumped to their feet, their faces turned toward the west. "Something's coming..." Rei muttered at the same time Ryou yelled "A demon attack!" The white-haired telepath ran out the door, and Duke followed him after winking candidly at the Senshi. They realized what he meant, and pulled out their henshin sticks. 

"Mars Star Power!" 

"Jupiter Star Power!" 

"Venus Star Power!" 

"Moon Cosmic Power!" 

"MAKE UP!" 

After the usual ballerina-style twirling and coloured light show, four of the five Inner Senshi stood in Rei's room, arrayed in all their glory. "Come on girls!" Sailor Moon called, leading the way toward where the Daimon attack was. In their Senshi forms, all the girls had heightened powers and all of them, not just Rei, could sence where the evil was. 

They made it down to street level and turned left. It wasn't very long before they heard the screams that signified a Daimon on the loose. The Senshi rounded the corner to see Duke stading a ways back and cheering on Sailor Mercury and Ryou, who were going at the Daimon fullforce. 

Sensing that the rest of the Senshi had arrived and that its life was going to be coming to a very quick end, the Daimon desided to get on with what it had been sent to do. Breaking away from Mercury and Ryou, the Daimon pointed its left palm, which had the black star tattooed onto it, at... 

"Duke!" Mars yelled. Everyone was too far away to get to him in time as the beam of black energy shot out of the Daimon's hand. Everyone was too far away... but one of them could get a lot closer really fast. 

"Duke you idiot, move!" Ryou tapped into his powers and teleported himself in front of Duke with a small burst of blue smoke. The Senshi stared, and for a moment it didn't register in their minds what Ryou had actually done until the black beam hit him square in the chest and he screamed. 

~*~

"Isn't it romantic?" Tea sighed, spinning around on one foot to take in all the Paris sights and sounds. 

"Yes, it is," Yugi agreed, and he was looking at her, not the scenery. 

"Tea stop it," Bakura grumbled, crossing his arms. "You look like a tourist..." 

"But isn't that what we are?" she inquired teasingly. Bakura had been in a bad mood ever since Tea had called Ryou and told him about the episode with Julien, a scene Bakura still denied steadfastedly. 

Amoura chuckled and put a hand on Bakura's arm. "Do not vorry about zem, Bakura._I_ am not a tourist." 

"Remind me to give you that line the next time you come to Tokyo." Tea giggled. 

Yugi and Yami exchanged glances and laughed. Yugi was glad that Grandmama had decided to stay home. He wanted this to be a fun night, and Yami and Grandmama bickering would have ruined it. 

"Hey!" he said suddenly, catching sight of a small bakery along the road. "Can we get some of that funky French bread?" 

"The kind that comes in long loaves?" Tea wondered. "Oh yes please! I've always wanted to try some of that!" 

"Okay," Amoura said, nodding. She gestured to a small cluster of tables at a nearby cafe. "You guys go 'ave a zeat, and I vill go get uz zome bread. Vould three loaves be enough, do you zink?" 

"Plenty." Tea assured her. Amoura nodded and headed toward the bakery, while the other four went to claim one of the larger tables at the nearby cafe. Very soon they would probably be filling up, as it was about four-thirty, almost supper time. 

As they all took seats, Yugi finally noticed the confused expressions that Yami and Bakura wore. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing aibou," Yami assured him, resting his chin on his hands. "But what is so special about this 'French bread'? Surely it isn't any better then Japanese bread." 

Tea and Yugi looked at him for a moment, before they both burst out laughing, which just caused Yami and Bakura to look even more confused. "French bread _is_ better Yami." Yugi assured him. "It's very long and thin, and is made a special way, and- oh you'll just have to taste it for yourselves." 

Yami and Bakura looked at each other and shrugged, and the four exchanged idle chatter for a few minutes before Amoura returned, toting a large, brown-wrapped parsel over one arm, her purse swinging against her hip. "Okay you vour, 'ere is zee bread -" 

She had no time to continue as a man bumped into her. He said something in French that seemed to be an apology, and Amoura waved him off with a smile. That is, until he grabbed her purse and took off with it. Amoura shreiked, and made to run after him, but tripped in the heeled boots she'd chosen to wear. Tea let out a cry and ran to her friend, and quick as a flash both Yami and Bakura took off after the thief. 

With his longer legs, Bakura easily out-distanced the ex-pharoah, who soon had to slow down to catch his breath. Bakura, however, was in excellent shape from his martial arts and his many spars with Ryou. Dodging in and out of the crowded streets, Bakura tailed the thief relentlessly, although he was never quite able to catch him. Finally, thinking that he would lose Bakura in the great monument, the thief sprinted for the stairs up the Eiffel Tower. 

But Bakura was an ex-thief himself, and grinned widely, knowing that the man would never lose _him_, and that he also now had the thief trapped. There was no where to go except up. Also being an ex-tomb robber, Bakura was very good with directions, and had mentally mapped the streets of Paris as he ran through them. He should be able to find his way back to the cafe where he'd left the others in no time. After he dealt with the thief, of course. 

Up and up the two thieves climbed, until finally the Frenchman had no where to go. Spinning around he faced Bakura, and a bit of fear came onto his face when he realized his pursuier was still there. "^Who are you?^" 

Bakura frowned, concentrating on the French lessons that Madame Amanda and Amoura had been giving him and the others. "^I'm your baddest nightmare. Why you want Amoura's bag?^" 

Now the thief looked very scared, and was clutching Amoura's light brown purse close to his chest. "^I recognised her as the French Duel Monsters champion. I thought maybe I could steal her deck.^" 

Bakura's frown deepened as he recognized the words "champion", "Duel Monsters", and "steal her deck". He advanced on the thief. "^You made mistake. Mess with her, you mess with me. Give purse.^" He held out his hand, and the thief all but tossed Amoura's purse into them. 

"^Please don't hurt me!^" 

Bakura's grin widened as an old, familiar, sadistic light came into his eyes. "^Oh, won't hurt you. Much.^" 

"Bakura!" 

Bakura turned half-way around at the shout. The thief wasn't going anywhere, but old habits of self-preservation made him turn only half-way. He knew first-hand how desperate thieves could be when they were cornered. Hell, he'd _been_ one of those thieves. Seeing Yami leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs and panting he switched back to Japanese. "What do you want Yami? This creep was going to steal Amoura's deck, I need to teach him a lesson." 

"I won't allow you to torture him and then leave the body for the French authorities to find." Yami said seriously. "We don't need an international incident. But..." Here Yami began to grin a little bit as the Eye of Horus materialized on his forehead. Bakura got the idea and cackled, and both of them turned to face the trembling thief. "You have trespassed on my friend's property, and forced me to run half-way across Paris." Both yamis smirked, and then Yami delivered the words which could be understood in any language as he pulled out his deck, Bakura following suit. Since the thief had been trying to steal Duel Monsters cards, it was presumable he had a deck of his own. 

"Let's play a game." 

~*~

Hiro yawned and rolled over, trying to ignore the loud laughter from downstairs. He groaned and stuck his head under his pillow, but it did no good. He sighed and got up, pulling on his clothes before heading downstairs. Hopefully, someone in this house would have had enough sense to make some coffee. 

He was right. Mr Kennady, Gwen's Uncle Matt, Ishtar, and Malik were all sitting around the kitchen table and drinking coffee. Malik and Ishtar were murmering to each other in Egyptian, and Uncle Matt was reading the paper. Mr Kennady looked up as Hiro entered the room and smiled. "Morning Hiro." 

"Morning Kennady-san." Hiro mumbled around a yawn as he shuffled to the coffee pot. "What's all the racket about?" There were loud voices coming from the livingroom, and every now and then a shriek of laughter. 

Mr Kennady smiled thinnly. "It's Saturday morning. They're watching cartoons." 

Malik blinked and broke off his conversation with his yami. "Cartoons? Like... Rurouni Kenshin? Slayers?" 

Mr Kennady sweatdropped. "Not... not exactly." 

The three boys from Japan exchanged glances, then shrugged and headed for the livingroom to see what the big fuss was about. Gwen and _all_ her siblings were draped across various pieces of furniture or sprawled around on the floor. Hiro picked his way around arms and legs and sat down next to Gwen on one of the sofas, while Ishtar and Malik took up possitions on the floor by their feet. On the TV was what looked like a big-headed kid in a silly pink hat. Next to him were two other overly-huge-headed people with what looked like little wings stuck on their backs. 

The green one said something in English, and Gwen began to giggle uncontrollably. Hiro poked her. "What's so funny?" 

"'Look, I found a nickel!'" Gwen quoted. "'I named it Phillip! The bad news is, it's a girl nickel!!'" She started giggling again while Hiro, Malik, and Ishtar exchanged glances and shrugged. Fairly Oddparents soon went to commercial, and since Gwen had so many siblings who got bored with commercials, the channel was promptly changed. 

"~Wait, stop!~" Gwen yelled in English, leaning forward to snatch the remote out of her brother Andy's hands. "~Kim Possible's on!~" 

"~That's a girly show...~" Andy scoffed, but Kris and Gwen both sent him glares, so he promptly shut up. He then left, muttering something about practicing his guitar. The remote control now safely in her possesion, Gwen settled back against the couch. Kim Possible was just starting, and Gwen sang along to the theme song in Japanese so the boys could get an idea of what it was about. 

"Call me beep me, if you wanna reach me!" 

"What's the point of this?" Malik asked, scratching his head slightly. 

"Kim Possible is a secret agent/superhero of the new millenium!" Gwen explained. "She saves the world once per show, but in a lot cooler ways then Superman and Batman, and plus she's a girl! And Superman and Batman don't have Ron Stoppable!" 

Hiro sweatdropped and leaned over to whisper to the Ishtars, "I think I've been booted out of her heart in favor of a cartoon..." 

"~Ohh!~" Gwen squealed. "~This one's my favorite! The one where Senior Senior Junior and Shiggo team up! Kawaii! I really need to write a Shiggo/Junior fanfic...~" Kris sweatdropped at her sister, while Malik, Ishtar, and Hiro continued to look clueless. They just do it so well. 

(WSJ: :p I just wanted to point out how heavily this little section reflects my own life. ^^ Fairly Oddparents and Kim Possible are probably my favorite non-anime cartoons. And yes, I do think Shiggo and Junior make a good couple after seeing them team up in that one episode. *snicker* Shiggo actually got him to use his brain!!! >> And yes, I do think Ron is hot. *grin*) 

~*~

The woman from the bar got back to her boarding house and shed her trench coat. She was the only boarder at the moment, and sighed heavily as she sat down at the kitchen table. The hostess of the house, Mrs Kounji, stuck her head out of the kitchen and gave the girl at the table a quizzical look. "You all right dear? You look a little down." 

The woman at the table sighed and put her head in her hands. "Yes and no. I came out here for the summer to forget my life and remember the past, but when I was out tonight I think I saw a couple friends of mine at the bar. One of them was an ex-boyfriend." 

Mrs Kounji looked sympathetic. "Well it was bound to happen with that big convention in town sweetie." 

"Convention?" 

"Some family reunion. Wheelie or Dealer, or something like that." 

The blond at the table's eyes widened fractionally. "Wheeler?" 

"Yes, that's it. Hey wait! Miss Mai, where are you going? You just got back!" 

~*~

When Yami and Bakura finally arrived back at the little cafe, almost an hour later, they were both grinning ear to ear. Bakura had a definate swagger in his step as he presented Amoura with her bag. "Here you go m'lady." he said, bowing cornily to her. 

She grinned and giggled a little. "Oh my. Merci monsier! Ve vere ztarting to get vorried about you two." 

Tea and Yugi, who had known the two Egyptians far, far longer then Amoura had, thought they recognised the way that they were smiling. Tea looked started, while Yugi looked vaguely suspicious. "Yami," he asked reluctantly. "What did you do to the thief who tried to steal her bag?" 

"Oh he's still alive, aibou." Yami assured him, his grin widening. "He's alive. But..." 

"Let's just say that if you hear something on the news tomorrow about a lunitic being found in or around the Eiffel Tower, crazed and mad and claiming everything within sight is a handbag... don't worry about it." Bakura said, his grin a mirror of Yami's. It had been a long time since the two of them had gotten to have any "fun". 

(WSJ: Oo;; I think Yami's going a little series 1 on me... *shudders slightly*) 

Tea and Yugi exchanged shocked looks with Amoura as Bakura and Yami took seats. "Did you save us any bread?" Bakura asked plaintively. 

Amoura sighed, then chuckled. "No, but I zhall go and get zome more." She stood up to go back into the bakery, and Tea got up, saying that she would join her, and that she had to go to the bathroom anyway. Once the two girls were gone, Yugi set his giant puppy-eyes to work on Yami and Bakura. 

"Tell me what happened! I know Tea wouldn't want to hear, but I do, so spill!" 

Bakura and Yami both laughed. "Okay kid, listen up then. I chased him to the Eiffel Tower. Arrived long before your yami, might I add..." By the time Tea and Amoura came back with another long brown package in hand, they'd finished the story and Yugi was snickering evilly right along with them. 

"Ah! So this is 'French bread'." Yami said as Amoura set the package down on the table. Both Egyptians looked on curiously as she unwrapped it. "It looks like..." Yami blinked and picked up one of the long loaves, tossing it experimentally from hand to hand. Suddenly he stood up and held the bread dramaticly so that the point was near Bakura's neck. "On guard!" 

Bakura snatched the other piece of bread and held it like a rapier, his other hand cocked behind him. "Bring it on pharoah!" he said, grinning. 

Tea and Amoura face-faulted, and Yugi sweatdropped. "Yami wait, you're not supposed to..." He trailed off as Yami and Bakura went at it, swordfighting with the loaves of bread and laughing like fools. "-_- Oh never mind..." 

Tea giggled and pulled a camera out of her purse. The same one, in fact, that had been used when Yugi and Bakura had fallen asleep together that first night, and when Bakura had been playing with Julien. Now it was used again to capture Bakura and Yami and their bread-swords. And if Gwen and Serenity and Isis were holding up their ends of the bargain and taking pictures as well... What a wonderful photo album this would make! 

People on the street were beginning to stop and stare at the two Egyptian/Japanese idiots who were swordfighting with bread and yelling at each other in some foriegn language. Several people walked around them in a wide circle, while others stopped to stare. Bakura and Yami were oblivious. They were having too much fun. Yes, fun. It's amazing. 

They didn't even notice when the sky began to darken and big, fat raindrops began to plop onto the concrete at their feet. Amoura, Tea, and Yugi looked at each other and ran for the nearest cover, which happened to be a shop just across the street. Yami and Bakura didn't even notice _that_. What they did notice, however, was that their "swords" were beginning to get decidedly squishy from the rain. 

"Heeeey..." Yami said grumpily. "My bread's melting..." 

"I wonder if this is a common phenominon in French bread?" Bakura wondered as he poked at his sagging pastry product. 

"Yami!" 

Both turned and saw Yugi waving at them from the doorway of a store. They finally noticed how wet they were, and yelped a little before running toward Yugi. As soon as they crossed the thresh hold, however, all rain was forgotten. They were standing in what had to be the Duel Monsters store that Amoura had mentioned at the airport on that first night. 

(WSJ: ^-^ Big thank you's to High Crystal Guardian and Brood Mayran. They helped me bunches and bunches with the next scene. :P Credit for most of the weird products goes to them. *big grin*) 

"Holy Osirus!" Yami said in wonderment as he looked around. Every shelf was crammed with Duel Monsters merchandice. Amoura was squealing over a stuffed Maha Vailo plushie, and Tea was swinging a toy Dark Magician Girl staff around and gigling. Their eyes almost the size of dinner plates, the five wandered into the depths of the huge store. Soon they were all exclaiming and calling to each other to come look at this pice of merchandice or that. They stayed there for hours, but let's just take a few glimpses, shall we? 

--------- 

Yami stared at what lay on the shelf in front of him. He was in the very back of the store, and the farther back they were the weirder the products seemed to get. Yugi wandered up behind him and poked him in the ribs, but the ancient pharoah seemed not to notice. 

"What'cha looking at Yami?" Yugi asked, leaning around his other. "O.o; Is that Dark Magician toilet paper?" 

"Ours!" Yami said quickly, snatching up a couple rolls. He saw Yugi staring, and sweatdropped. "Not that I would _use_ them, of course. They're for, uh, Grampa! Yeah, that's it! He'll have a fit when he sees these." 

Yugi just stared after him as Yami ran toward the checkout counter. 

--------- 

"Oh! Tea, look at ziz vone!" 

Bakura scratched his head. He could hear Amoura's voice, and he knew it was somewhere around here, but... Beside him, Yugi was also vaguely puzzled (harhar). Where could the two girls have gone? "Over there," he finally decided, pointing to a small corner of store that was roped off with several Japanese paper screens, all sporting various Duel Monsters designs, of course. 

Yugi and Bakura walked behind them without a thought, and their eyes bugged out. It seemed the screens were there for a good reason. Behind them were several racks of various Duel Monsters lingerie and a couple changing rooms. Amoura was standing in her jeans and a bra with the price tag still attached. Bakura couldn't help but notice it had little Petite Dragons all over it. "Gurk..." he murmered as a trickle of blood ran down from his nose. 

Yugi, meanwise, was staring at Tea, who was wearing even less then Amoura, a bra and a pair of panties. The little Moto blushed heavily as he spied the Kuriboh print on them. "Uh..." 

The two girls just stared at them for a moment, and then let out simotanious shreiks. "BAKURA!!! YUGI!!!!!!" 

Amoura grabbed the closest thing within reach and threw it at the boys as they scrambled to leave and Tea almost fell over herself in the effort of finding something to cover up with. Yugi and Bakura ran for several isles before stopping to catch their breath, where Yami soon found them. 

"Bakura," the pharoah asked with a funny expression on his face. "Why do you have a leather Celtic Guardian thong in your hair?" 

--------- 

"They chibified Exodia." Yami said in a deadpan voice, poking at the small mountain of stuffed Duel Monsters that Amoura had been cooing over when they first came in. "They chibified and _plushified_ Exodia." 

"Yami?" Bakura asked worriedly, waving his hand back and forth in front of the spirit's face. It might also be noted that the white haired thief was carrying several things he intended to buy for either himself or Ryou, including a pair of boxers with Man Eater Bugs all over them. "You okay?" 

Yami squeezed his eyes shut, much like he was now wringing the neck of the hideously cute Exodia plushie. "Exodia is not meant to be a plushie! WHHHHHYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!" 

Bakura backed slowly away. 

--------- 

Amoura spied a rack of Duel Monsters doujinshi, and her eyes lit up. It was all in French, of course, and she was the only one who could have read any of it. Yugi was already examining one, and showed it to Amoura. "What does it say?" 

Amoura's face twisted into something halfway between a grimace and a smirk. "Zparkly Pink Loverz: A Dark MagicianxCeltic Guardian Hentai Extraviganza." 

"Meep!" Yugi dropped it as if it were a hot iron as Amoura giggled in the background. 

--------- 

O.o; 

o.O; 

O.O; 

"...Please tell me these are not what they look like?" 

Ignoring Yami's stunned comment for the minute, Tea reached out at poked it. "Yup, it is." 

".....Think Joey would like it?" 

"I'm sure he would." Tea said. "In fact, there's a Blue Eyes version, let's get it for Kaiba." 

Yami snickered and picked up the Red Eyes Black Dragon bobble-head, leaving the Blue Eyes for Tea. 

--------- 

Yugi held up a box triumphantly. "Look at these!" 

Bakura and Yugi had found an isle completely full of Duel Monsters food. What he was holding was a box of Duel Monsters fruit snacks. Bakura shrugged and gestured to the cart he was pushing, which was already dangerously full. 

"What the heck, toss it in." 

--------- 

"Hey, Bakura!" 

Bakura turned to where Yugi was waving him over. The girls had understood that peeping on them hadn't been intentional, and Bakura and Yugi had only recieved minor beatings. Now the two girls plus Yugi and Yami were gathered around something that they'd rescued from an old, dusty shelf. "What is it?" Bakura asked curiously, pushing in between Amoura and Yami. 

What it was was a box, about a foot square, made of what seemed to be plain wood. That is, if plain wood shimmered in the strange way this box was. The lid was on metal hinges, and was locked shut, although the lock seemed rusty and could probably be broken quite easily. Carved into the top was some sort of word, although it was obscured by dust. 

"Ve are not zure." Amoura said. "But zee shopkeeper zaid ve could break the lock, as long as ve either bought it or paid him for it avtervard." 

"Well it has to be related to Duel Monsters somehow," Tea reasoned. "Otherwise it wouldn't be here. I say we go for it." 

"Wait a minute," Yugi said. "What's it say on the top?" 

Yami wiped away the dust. "'yokomon52', whatever that means." he said. 

Amoura conversed with the shopkeeper a moment, then turned back to the rest of them. "He zays zat zat vas zee name of zee previous owner of zee box. She pawned it, I zink." 

"Well, let's find out what she pawned." Bakura said reasonably. Yami nodded and broke the lock. The ex-pharoah then lifted the lid, and for a moment both Yami and Bakura were stunned speechless. Then Bakura gently lifted the box out of Yami's hands so he could get a better look. His eyes widened as he shuffled through the cards inside. 

"This - this is amazing! Whoever this 'yokomon52' person is, I'd like to find her and thank her!" Bakura's eyes rose to meet Yami's, and Yami saw them suspiciously misty. "Ryou's never been able to get over the fact that he can't duel anymore, and I think we've just been handed the perfect birthday gift." He hugged the box full of cards to his chest. "They're even coded so Ryou could use them on Kaiba's duel disks, if he wanted." 

"What is it?" Tea asked impatiently. 

Bakura smiled, and his friends could see how happy he was for his hikari by the way his eyes seemed to waver on the edge of being compassionate, as opposed to his usual indifference. "It's Ryou's exact deck, all in braille." 

~*~

Shen's breath caught in wonder as he caught his first sight of the tomb door. It looked to be carved directly into the rock wall of a cliff, down a short flight of stairs. Unlike most other tomb doors, which were wooden and rotted away, this one was made of stone and carved with hiroglyphics. Eagerly the archaeologist ran his fingers around the edges, finding where the royal seals were still in place. 

Arthur and Soloman, both now thouroughly rested, crowded down the stairs after him, each wanting to see this stone door that was so amazing. Isis and Shaadi would be joining them shortly, after they gave instructions to the workman who would be helping clear away any rubble or debris they came across. Ahmed, an old friend of Shaadi's, was the foreman, so work was sure to go smoothly. The dig truly was in the middle of no where. It lay about ten miles south-west of where Yami's tomb was, guarded by Shaadi's family and never actually lost at all. 

"So, what do you think?" Isis asked as she came down the stairs behind them, carrying a flashlight and a shovel. She was dressed, like the others, in khaki shorts and a polo shirt, with sturdy hiking boots. A water bottle was strapped onto her belt, as it was sure to get hot in the tomb, especially if it had been sealed up for a few thousand years. 

"Isis, I'm ashamed of you." Soloman said. 

Isis looked startled as Shaadi joined them. "What?" 

"You should have recognised this carving, even if Shaadi did not! Clearly this is the Dark Magician!" 

"What?!" Isis and Shaadi both rushed forward, chagrined to see that Soloman was right. The tall figure with the staff had to be the Dark Magician, even though he wasn't dressed in his usual armor or tall helmet/crown/hat thing. Isis realised something else. "Aarg, I feel like an idiot. Shaadi, that's Pharoah Yami!" 

Shaadi leaned closer to inspect the shorter of the two figures, and his eyes widened. "So it is. We didn't recognise him at first because he's wearing a _nemes_[1] to cover his hair, and the Millenium Puzzle is surpressed to the point of not being there at all!" 

"But why?" Arthur asked. "Why is neither one of them in a form that would be easily recognised?" 

"Maybe they didn't _want_ Pharoah Yami to be recognised." Shen mused, half to himself. "According to Bakura, there had to have been a lot of upheavel after the Shadow Games were sealed away. After all, that was where nine-tenths of the preists got their power. Yami's decision to seal away the Shadow Magic probably made him a _lot_ of enemies. What if a small faction of those loyal to Yami hid this tomb as well as they could, because they didn't want anyone coming in to vandalize it because it was connected to Yami." 

"Possible," Shaadi agreed. "Look here." He pointed at a section of hiroglyphs in the upper corner of the door and began to read them outloud. "Herein lie the most loyal servents of the Everliving Pharoah, the Morning and Evening Star, Son of Osirus, Horus on Earth, Master of the Shadow Games.' This is obviously not Yami's tomb, but it does appear we've found some friends of his." 

"There's something else that's bothering me about this door..." Isis mused. Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "Of course! The Dark Magician in this picture is standing right next to Yami, and is taller then him to boot!" 

"So?" Shaadi asked. "Everyone's taller then Yami." 

Isis gave him a sour look. "You know what I mean!" she snapped. "In carvings, especially those on tombs, the Pharoah was _always_ taller then _anyone_ else, and no one stood beside him. It was required that his Queen be shown behind him and smaller, and his children behind her and smaller then her." 

Arthur and Soloman were both nodding. "The only exception achaeologists have found is a relief of Nefertiti standing beside Akhenaten with her arm around his shoulder." [2] 

"Right." Isis agreed, then gestured at the door. "This carving could be considered blasphemy!" 

"Unless," Soloman said slowly, "That Yami considered this Dark Magician friend enough to allow the carvings to be done in life-size. Back then the monsters were real, and there has to be a reason the Dark Magcian is Yami's favorite. Maybe he knew one personally in Egypt? I mean, the Dark Magician _had_ to be taller then Yami. Like Shaadi-san said, everyone's taller then Yami. So maybe he allowed this carving, at least, to be done realisticly. After all, these carvings were never supposed to be found." 

"That's just speculation," Isis warned, but Shen cut her off. 

"We'll never know unless we either call up Yami and ask or get inside and find out." 

The other four smiled at him. "I vote for both," Shaadi said, hefting the door-opening tools he'd brought down with him. "But the latter before the former." 

"Here here!" everyone agreed, and Shaadi moved toward the doors. 

None of them noticed that they were being watched. Of course, even if they had noticed, they wouldn't have been able to find who was watching them. Sitting on the top of the cliffs, two figures gazed down at the quintet of archaeologists like a pair of hawks. "What do you think?" the female of the pair asked. 

The male smiled and took the girl's hand. "I think that after five-thousand years we are going to be reunited with our Pharoah." 

~*~

Yugi and Bakura stared at what lay before them. They had retreated to a reletively unoccupied corner of the store and had just opened a pack each of Duel Monsters fruit snacks. For the most part, they were delicious! Little Petite Angels that tasted of strawberry, tiny Happy Lovers that smacked of orange, smallish Penguin Soldiers that tasted like grapes. 

But unfortunately for them, that wasn't all. 

Bakura stared at the little lemon-lime Petite Dragon that rested in his palm. His nose twitched and felt much like it was going to begin to bleed again as he remembered Amoura's choice in lingerie. "Gaaaah..." 

Yugi balked in horror as a tiny fruit punch Kuriboh met his eyes as he also remembered intamently his childhood friend in... not much. "Gack!" 

Both men looked at each other. 

"I'll never tell if you won't." 

"Deal!" 

~*~

Everyone stood frozen as Ryou screamed. The telepath fell backward, and Duke caught him with a cry. "Ryou you idiot! Why'd you do that!? Ryou wake up!" 

No one seemed to notice the dice master as they stared at Ryou's Heart Crystal, which was now floating free of its carrier. Instead of the ruby-coloured crystal that seemed normal for most people, Ryou's was pure white. It rotated slowly in the air, and then emitted a bright white light that almost blinded those looking on. 

On the roof of a nearby building Rigel cackled. "Not only a pure heart, but the heart of the one who killed Jalila! Oh this revenge is sweet..." 

Almost right below him, although neither party knew it, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune exchanged glances. "It must be a Talisman!" Uranus said excitedly. "Come on Neptune, we have to grab it!" 

Neptune hesitated, playing with a lock of her sea green hair. "Are you sure Uranus? If we take his Heart Crystal, that boy will die." 

Uranus shook her head sharply and grabbed Neptune's hand. "We have no choice. Come on Neptune." 

In the middle of the street, Duke was on his knees with Ryou in his arms. Despite himself, he could feel tears on his cheeks. Ryou's skin had gone a sickly grey colour, and he didn't seem to be breathing at all. "Come on Ryou, please wake up..." 

But the telepath lay still. 

~*~

[1] A _nemes_ is the cloth headdress that priests and high-ranking Egyptian officials wore to protect their head from the sun. When not wearing their crown, pharoahs often wore them too. The best example I can think of is King Tut's funerary mask. Remember the striped headdress he has on that drapes over his shoulders too? That's a _nemes_. 

[2] _Eye of Horus_, by Carol Thurston, pg. 108 hard cover edition 

()()()()() 

WSJ: As some of you may remember from when I announced my two-year anniversery in YoTU:F, the day I joined FF.N is June the 6th. However, recently there was another kind of anniversery for me. I would have posted it ON the anniversery, but my internet was all screwed until today. v__v; Gomen minna-san. Anyway... 

It was exactly one year ago on August the 23rd, believe it or not, that I posted the first chapter of _Visions of the Heart_. I'd written it because I was bored, and never intended to continue it at all. *grin* But you guys made me. Over the next two months I received at least forty reviews for just that one chapter. I figured I'd better post another chapter. But you guys kept reviewing. So I kept writing. And here we are. 

Since last Saturday was the one-year anniversery, I just wanted to honor a few people who have made it possible. ^~ 

First and foremost, my neesan, **Brood Mayran**. I "met" Brood when I stumbled across her uber-awesome fic _Another Chance at Everything_. In return for my reviews, she decided to read through a few of my fics. ^~ We started e-mailing back and forth, and the rest, as they say, is history. When I started writing _Yamis of Tokyo U_, I knew that most of the boys would room with each other, but I needed roommates for Tea. My mind instantly lept to Amoura, and Brood was kind enough to allow me to borrow her. *snicker* Oh the things I have planned for the future... 

Second off the presses, **High Crystal Guardian**. *glomp* She's another of my great friends. She and I met almost exactly the opposite of how Brood and I did. She started reviewing my fics, so I decided to read hers. ^~ I fell in love with her fics, her writing style, and her OCs. ^o^ She borrowed my Elements for her fic _Negative Chaos_, so in return I decided to "borrow" Kawari for a vision of Ryou's. *snick* And I am also Kaze's #1 fangirl! ME! Not you all, _ME!!!!_ (Kaze: >> Oh dear Ra, no...) 

**Myotismon13, Gyakutenno Megami, Cettie-girl, Katia, Millenium Slinky, **and** Windswift** have all offered amusing, long, and often downright weird reviews, for which I am thankful. ^~ **Myotismon13**, after realizing my obsession of Discworld, even dedicated a fic to me. *sniffle* I'm so touched! 

I would also like to use this little anniversery party to make an annuncement, and deliver a teaser for an upcoming fic or two of mine. Okay, announcement first. After I finish all twelve stories in _Tales of the Child of Fate_, I'm going to go back and revamp it, from head to toe. I mean a complete makeover. I've already started revising _Visions of the Heart_. After the end of the last story, which is _Yamis of Our Fathers_, I'm going to re-release the entire series, all in one volume, as a special edition. New chapters, new scenes, new dialogue and side-stories, even. It's going to be good. ^~ But that's a looooong time from now, so let's hit a few things closer to home, shall we? 

Here we go, a teaser for the future of this series. ^~ This is a scene I've had written for the _longest_ time, and it takes place during the very beginning of _The Yamis of Our Fathers_, twenty-one long years after the beginning of VotH. 

~~~

"Daddy, mommy! Daddy!" 

Bakura groaned and rolled over as his nine-year-old son launched himself onto the bed. Bakura burried his head under the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. What had he just been dreaming about...? Oh yes, the last time he'd seen Ryou. 

Beside him, his wife rolled over as their son continued to bounce up and down on the foot of the bed. "Jonathon Ryou Bakura, it's six o'clock in the morning. Go back to bed!" 

"But mom! It's Christmas!" 

Bakura chuckled and pulled his head out from under the pillow. "It _is_ Christmas," he said, giving his lover the biggest puppy-dog eyes as he could muster. "What did you get me?" 

His wife arched an eyebrow at him, taking one of his hands in hers. She laid a kiss onto the palm, then she grinned and placed Bakura's hand against her stomach, right above her belly button. "Guess." 

Bakura sputtered as he felt the rise in her belly, still so small that it couldn't be seen, only felt. "You... you're... But... How did this happen?!" 

She threw back her head and laughed at him. "I think you are partially to blame, love." 

Bakura spluttered incoherantly for another moment or two before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell back onto his pillow. 

"Hey, what's wrong with dad?" Jon asked, crawling up to lay next to his mom. 

She grinned as she stroked his silver-green hair. "Don't worry about him Jon, he fainted last time too." 

"Last time what?" he asked. 

"Last time I told him I was going to have a baby." 

Jon stared at her a moment before he gulped and flopped over, proving just how much like his father he really was. 

~~~

WSJ: ^~ There ya' go. That's your special reward for sticking with me this long. *glomps* I WUV YOU ALL! 

Note: Everyone go read _The Falcon_! It's a side-story, and takes place right after HSH. ^^ You don't _have_ to read it, but I'd appreciate the feedback. I really like how it turned out, and I wanna see what you guys think too. 

**Chapter 6:** Shen: (V/O) Oh my Ra... 

WSJ: *chuckles* (V/O) The archaeologists seemed to have discovered something a lot bigger then just a mere servent's tomb. 

Isis: *staring at the carvings* If I'm reading this right, we've just found the tomb of two of Pharoah Yami's most powerful mages, not to mention closest friends! 

Arthur: *examining another wall* Yes, but it looks like they died horribly, definately after Yami sealed away the Shadow Games. The poor mages... They look so young... 

Shen: *backing out of a nearby room with Shaadi at his heels* Hey Isis? We've found the mummies. 

Isis: Wonderful! 

Shaadi: Not wonderful. They have guards. 

Isis: *face fault* What? 

Soloman: *runs out of the buriel chamber with a Kuriboh clinging to his hat* Heeeelp!!! 

WSJ: (V/O) *snicker* Duke gets down and dirty with Sailor Uranus for Ryou's sake. (For whoever mentioned that Uranus was their favorite... *cough* She's my _least_ favorite. I'll try not to bash her too terribly much, but...) 

Uranus: Gimme that Heart Crystal, kid! 

Duke: Ha! Like I'd give it to you willingly... 

WSJ: (V/O) Tea and Yugi have a small moment together... 

Tea: Oh Yugi! Let's go up on the Eiffel Tower! Please? 

Yugi: Well... *thinks a moment* All right Tea. Let's go. 

WSJ: (V/O) And Joey gets the surprise of his life. 

Joey: *opens the door and blinks* Mai? 

WSJ: (V/O) All this and more, next time! ^~\\// Ja for now! 

God bless minna-san! 


	6. Viva la France!

WSJ: *grin* Well, I'm back. ^^ And better then ever!! I want all you guys to know; I pray for ya'll every day. I do! I pray that if you are Christians you'll continue to draw closer to Him, and if you aren't, well, I pray someday that will change. I've said it before guys, I'm a Christian and proud of it. ^^\\// I love you all, and so does He! 

Something else I've said before, but some of you (Black Mistress, this is you!) may not have noticed is that you guys can e-mail me any time! yamatos_fangirl@hotmail.com I try and answer all my e-mails as quick as I can, so drop me a line. ^~ I usually don't have time to do anything if you ask me to e-mail you in a review, but if you actually e-mail me first I'll be glad to answer. 

Disclaimer: >> .....You know by now. I know you know.... 

Hehehe... A lot of this was written during various study halls and classes last week. ^^ I have a notebook that I carry around with me, and the Sailor Moon section was written furiously over the course of about five periods (roughly 3 1/2 hours) and lunch, plus the bus ride home. ^^; Anyway, enjoy! 

Oh yes, and Yokomon52 is the reviewer who gave me the idea of braile Duel Monsters cards. ^~ If I do use ideas that you guys give me, I always try and give you credit. If you read something and think I used your idea, but I didn't give you credit, it's probably because _I_ actually thought of it first. ^~ I seem to be anticipated a lot lately... 

*crosses eyes slightly* Oh come on people!! You don't mean to tell me you STILL don't know who's in the tomb?! >> I've had, I think, ONE person guess right. ^~ I'm not sure if it'll get revieled in this chapter or not, but if it isn't there'll sure be more clues. GUESS!! I want to know what ya'll think!! ^o^ It's really, _really_ obvious if you think about it... 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 6 -- Viva la France! 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

"I'm tele-pathetic!"   
~(my good friend Bradley ^^) 

Duke jerked his head up from where it bent over Ryou as three yells attracted his attention. His eyes widened as he saw Sailor Uranus diving at him from one direction, Sailor Moon from another, and the Daimon from yet another. Wait... they weren't diving at _him_, they were aiming for Ryou's Heart Crystal, which was floating just above his head! 

Awkwardly and with Ryou still half on his lap, Duke jumped as high as he could from his knees, stretching his arms over his head. He was just able to cup his hands around Ryou's heart and jerk it away just before Sailor Uranus's hand would have closed around it. He had no idea what Uranus and Neptune were up to, or why they didn't seem to get along with the other Senshi, but he knew it was up to him to make sure Ryou stayed safe. He yanked his hands back down, the Crystal enclosed protectively between them. 

Just in time too, as the three women suddenly found the object of their desires gone. Of course, gravity had something to say about that, and all three of them came crashing down on top of Duke. There was a moment of confused struggling, during which Duke stayed on his knees, his body curled around his cupped hands, which in turn were pressed tightly to his chest. Duke could feel the Heart Crystal pulsing in time to his heart beat, and shuddered slightly at the sheer power in his palms. No wonder the bad guys always wanted Ryou so badly. 

After a moment Sailor Moon and the Daimon untangled themselves and jumped away to fight each other, the Heart temporarily forgotten. Whoever was in charge of the Daimons had summonded two more, and with them added together with Sailor Neptune the Inner Senshi were kept busy. 

Which left Sailor Uranus and Duke. 

Uranus rolled off of Duke's back, grabbing his ponytail as she did. She yanked on it, forcing Duke to come out of his curl and onto his knees with Uranus standing over him, his hair held tightly in her right hand. "Gimme that Heart Crystal kid and I won't hurt you!" she hissed. 

"Never!" Despite how much it hurt, Duke twisted around, trying to either roll to his feet or slide out of her grasp. At the same time, Sailor Uranus was trying to swing him around by his hair so she could get to his hands, which held the Crystal. In doing so, Uranus slammed her knee forcefully and half on accident into Duke's already injured ribs. 

Stars exploded in front of the dice master's eyes as he felt something inside him crack. He gasped for the breath which was suddenly forced out of his lungs, and fell back to his knees as the world swam around him. His grip on the Heart Crystal loosened for a moment, but just as quickly he made himself tighten it again, trying to ignore the fire that tore through his chest with every breath he took. For a moment Uranus's hands around his ponytail were the only things holding him upright as he swayed dangerously, fighting for air. 

He thought he heard a yell of triumph, but it seemed far away. Then came another yell, something that was half a scream, and suddenly Sailor Uranus wasn't holding on to his hair anymore. Gratefully Duke fell forward into the arms of darkness that waited for him, giving in to the sparks that danced before his eyes. 

~*~

It was about an hour or so later that Amoura-tachi immerged from the Duel Monsters store, their arms laden with boxes and bags and goodies of all sorts. Most were souveniers for their friends, but some were gifts to themselves. ^~ And, of course, the guys got stuck carrying the most. Observe. 

Yami was carrying his own toilet paper (>>), the pair of Exodia boxers he'd gotten, a Dark Magician poster, a little Dark Magician Girl figurine for Grampa, a pair of Kuriboh fuzzy slippers for himself, a Dark Magician pair for Yugi, and a Blue Eyes White Dragon pair for Grampa, a small DMG locket that he planned to give Tea for her next birthday, and the bobble-heads for Kaiba and Joey. 

Yugi was loaded down with a pair of Celtic Guardian boxers for himself and another pair with Mystical Elves, a Curse of Dragon plushie, a pillow in the shape of a chibi Flame Swordsman for Joey, a Change of Heart figurine for Ryou (Bakura thought it looked scarily like Fate), a toy Dark Magician staff for himself, a toy Cyber Commander machine gun for Tristan, a pretty Black Pendant necklace (for Tea on her next birthday), and a Petite Angel plushie for Serenity. He was carrying some of Tea's stuff too, which mostly included plushies and a toy DMG staff. 

Bakura had Man Eater Bug boxers for himself and Change of Heart boxers for Ryou, the box containing the braile Dueling Deck, a small portrait of the Dark Elf for Shen (who actually did duel, just not very well), a Petite Dragon plushie (which he planned on giving to Julien when no one was around to tease him), and a box of the Duel Monsters fruity snacks. He was also carrying a lot of Amoura's stuff, which included a few new cards for her grandmother, a Maha Vailo plushie, a rattle with the Dark Magician on it for Julien, a few doujinshi (in French and non-yaoi), and a candle or two. 

Tea was carrying her purse and a few secret things she didn't want the guys to know about. ^~ The Kuriboh lingurie for one thing. Plus a really pretty portrait of the Dark Magician for Yugi's next birthday, and one of the DMG for Yami. (Yami and Yugi always celebrated their birthdays one day apart, since Yami didn't know when his real birthday was. It may be noted that Ishtar and Malik and Ryou and Bakura did this as well) She also had a small bag of candy for Julien. 

Amoura was "loaded down" with her purse, her Petite Dragon undergarments, and an absolutely gorgeous Change of Heart statue that she planned to give as her present to both Ryou and Bakura come their birthdays. It had been expensive, but Tea had agreed with her that the boys would really like it. 

The Change of Heart was sitting on a rock, half-way leaned back and in a casual possition, her wings fanned out behind her. As Tea had pointed out, her expression seemed to change each time you looked. First she was happy, then just dreamy, then she looked mad, ect. It really was a beautiful piece, and well worth the money Amoura had paid. 

Franz had driven them downtown from the manor earlier that afternoon, and he had told them to go and do what they liked, and he would catch a movie or something and then drive them home. Really though, they could have walked if they'd wanted. Now they all trouped back to the limo and deposited their bags and boxes and various other things, but Yugi and Tea had decided they didn't want to leave quite yet. Franz said that was fine with him, and that the two of them could walk back, or he could come back for them after he took the other three home. 

The limo was actually beginning to get a bit crowded. Before the bread-thief-swordfight incident they'd been on the town several hours, and had made quite a few purchases. Souveniers for them and all their friends, of course, as well as just random, useless junk. I mean hey, it was _Paris_! When in Paris, you must shop! 

So Yugi and Tea wandered off down the street, and Amoura got in the limo. As Bakura made to get in too, a quiet voice from behind him stopped him cold. 

"(Bekhura.)" 

Bakura paused. Something about the way Yami had said his name... Slowly he straightened up and turned to face the spikey-haired duelist, and answered him in Egyptian. "(Yes, my pharoah?)" 

Yami dipped his head slightly in recognision of his title. "(I would talk with you a little, my friend. Would you walk with me?)" 

Bakura turned slightly and stuck his head in the limo. "Amoura, Yami and I are going to go for a walk. You can head on back to the house, if you want." 

"No, zat is okay." Amoura said, smiling and pulling a small novel out of her purse. "I vill vait for you. Franz and I vill be right 'ere." 

Bakura nodded and turned back to Yami, gesturing for the Puzzle Spirit to lead the way. The two of them began to walk in a random direction, quiet for the most part. After a few blocks Yami asked "(Who do you love more then any other, Bekhura?)" 

Bakura stared at him, wondering why Yami would ask such a stupid question. "(Ryou.)" he answered automaicly. 

A small smile tugged on the corners of Yami's lips. "(Ah yes, the little lights. They do seem to captivate the heart, don't they? But no Bekhura, I phrased the question wrong. What _woman_ do you love above no one else?)" 

"(I...)" Bakura started and for a moment stopped walking. He closed his eyes and turned his face upward, as if asking Ra to give him the answer. Yami just stood with his arms crossed, watching him. As for the tomb robber, he was remembering running across hot sands with Anjil at his side, eluding guards, infiltrating the palace, making love in the middle of a desert oasis on the most starry night Bakura could ever remember. But suddenly, in the place of Anjil there stood a green-haired French maiden, her face streaked with tears after Director-baka's insults. Laughing as he stumbled his way through her French lessons. Looking up at him shyly as he returned her purse to her that very evening. For a moment Bakura saw Anjil and Amoura standing side by side. His eyes snapped open, and focused on Yami. 

"(I... I don't know.)" Bakura answered truthfully. 

Yami nodded, as if this was the answer he had expected. The pharoah drew an arm around Bakura's shoulders, and the two began walking again. "(Why don't you know?)" 

Bakura took a moment to think about this. "(I think... I don't know. I still love Anjil more then anything, but my heart tells me that I love Amoura too. Or at least, I like her a lot.)" 

"(But why?)" Yami pressed. 

"(Because... Because Amoura is sweet and kind and just _so_ unlike anyone I've ever met before. I remember back when Ryou was sick the first day of classes. Did you know Amoura skipped out on her last class of the day so she'd have time to come visit him? That's just the kind of person she is. But Anjil... Out in the desert it was kill or be killed. I doubt Anjil would have done anything like that.)" 

"(Will you allow me to advise you, my friend?)" Yami asked, and continued only after Bakura had nodded. "(For the past five thousand years, Anjil has been the one you love because she was the only one. Over time, as your memories of her dimmed, you pushed her faults away and molded her into a sort of idol in your heart. But now there is Amoura, and you are learning again what true love is.)" 

"(Do you really think so, Yuugioh?)" 

Yami nodded. "(I do. Follow your heart Bekhura, now that you have one.)" The pharoah raised his hand, almost whistfully, and placed it over Bakura's chest to feel his heart pulse. "(Do you realize, Bekhura, that you are mortal?)" 

"(Of course I do.)" Bakura growled, looking away. "(I think about it every hour of every day! Do you think I want this?!)" The tomb robber was started by Yami's quiet answer. 

"(Do you think I don't? Bekhura, you have another life to live. You can love and marry and make love, while I cannot. I am just an observer, I can see but never touch. Don't you know how I envy you, Bekhura?)" Taking Bakura's hand in his, Yami placed it palm down over his own heart. Bakura felt a shiver go down his spine as he realized that no heart beat drummed in Yami's chest. 

"(Love her.)" Yami whispered as a tear slid out of his usually stoic eye. "(Let yourself love her, for the both of us.)" 

Bakura felt like someone had thrown cold water on him. "(_You_ are in love with-)" 

"(No,)" Yami said, chuckling a little as he turned away, wiping tears out of his eyes. "(No, not Amoura. But Tea. Do you know how hard it is, Bekhura, watching my aibou fall in love with her, and knowing I can never touch her the way he does?)" 

"(No, I don't know, Yuugioh.)" Bakura said, putting a hand on Yami's shoulder. "(But I can imagine. Don't give up hope, my king. Powerful forces are at work all around us. You may live a life yet.)" 

Yami turned in surprise to look at him, but Bakura just smiled mysteriously. "Now," he said in Japanese. "Are you ready to go back to the house?" 

Yami shook his head. "No, I think I'll wander around for awhile, then walk back. It isn't that far." 

"Are you sure you won't get lost?" Bakura asked. 

Yami smirked at him, a little of his old fire renewed. "If you will remember, _I_ am the one with a labrynth for a soulroom. See you later tomb robber." 

"You too, my pharoah." The two Egyptians turned away from each other, and Bakura started back toward the car, thinking about what Yami had said. When he reached the limo and stepped inside, he saw Amoura half asleep and leaning on a pile of plushies. Bakura chuckled quietly, and just stood there and looked at her for a few moments, a small smile playing about his lips. Then he went forward and sat down next to her. She stirred slightly and mumbled something in French, and then to Bakura's surprise put her head on his shoulder and snuggled up against him. 

Bakura blushed slightly as Franz started up the car and pulled away from the curb. All the way home Yami's words replayed in his mind as he stared down at Amoura's face. _"(But now there is Amoura, and you are learning again what true love is.)" _

"(...what true love is.)" 

"(...true love...)" 

The short ride seemed to go even quicker then normal, and before Bakura knew it Franz had opened the door for him. The old butler raised an eyebrow and smirked suggestively as he saw his little mistress asleep on the white-haired man's shoulder. Bakura tried to ignore the nudges and winks Franz kept giving him as he got out of the car. Then he leaned back in and picked up Amoura to carry her up to bed. 

The French girl sighed and snuggled against Bakura's chest as he carried her inside, a small smile on her face. Bakura took her upstairs and into her room, where Annalee helped him turn down the sheets and lay her on the bed. Together they gently wrestled Amoura out of her coat and shoes, but just left her in her jeans and t-shirt to sleep. They were comfortable enough anyway. 

After Annalee left, Bakura stayed and watched Amoura sleep and listened to his own heart beat.

Could it be that Yami was right? 

~*~

Mai stood outside the tall hotel building, chewing on her lower lip. She glanced down at the slip of paper in her hand again, then sighed and stuffed it into her pocket. "Better get this over with..." She stalked inside and up to the front desk. "Excuse me please, could I please have the room number of -" 

"Mai?!" 

Mai turned around to see Joey, Scott, and Serenity stepping off the elevator. Apparently they were on their way to the pool, because they were all dressed in swimsuits and Scott was carrying several towels. Mai's face hardened and went blank, but they didn't seem to notice as they ran up to her. 

"Hi Mai!" Serenity said excitedly. "What are you doing in Kyoto?" 

Mai ignored her and frowned at Joey, who blinked. "What'd I do?" 

"Listen Joey," Mai said, her voice low. "Maybe I loved you in Duelist Kingdom. Maybe I still do. But Kale holds a special place in my heart now and forever, and I won't have you ruining my memories of him with your presence here!" 

"Whoa! Hold Mai," Joey said, blancing at the anger in her voice. "Who's this Kale guy?" 

"Kale," suddenly Mai found herself fighting back tears. "Kale was more a man then you'll ever be! Why can't you just let me remember him in peace!?" With that she turned and fled. 

"Mai!!" Letting out an exasperated sigh, Joey took off after her. 

"Hey wait -" Scott started to run after the both of them, but Serenity held him back and shook her head. 

"Let them go Scott, Mai needs to talk things out with my brother right now." 

Grudgingly, Scott nodded. 

~*~

"Yay, go Sailor Moon!" Venus cheered as Sailor Moon took care of the last of the Daimons. Sailor Neptune was being double-teamed by Jupiter and Mars, and would probably run off soon if she could convince Uranus to give up the fight. 

Thinking of Uranus, Venus looked around for the Soldier of Heavens. Her eyes widened when she saw her with a tight grip on Duke's ponytail. Venus screamed as Uranus kneed Duke in the ribs, causing the dice master to sink to his knees in pain. His face flushed immediately as he panted for breath. Ignoring (or maybe just not seeing) the horrified look on Uranus's face, Venus let all her anger come to a point and called on her first and most deadly attack. 

"Venus Cresent Beam Smash!" 

The carefully aimed bolt of energy slashed through Duke's ponytail, releasing him from Sailor Uranus's grasp. He fell forward, and Venus caught him before he could hit the pavement, glaring daggers at Uranus. "How _dare_ you..." Venus hissed, hugging Duke close to her. "How dare you hit him when he's already hurt." 

In an instant the other four Senshi plus Tuxedo Kamen were arrayed around them. Jupiter, who'd been holding Sailor Neptune with her left arm twisted behind her back, all but threw her toward her partner. The two Outer Senshi clung to each other, and for the first time there was fear in their faces as they stood boxed in by five angry Sailors and one ticked off Tuxedo. 

Sailor Uranus still hadn't lost the shocked expression, even as she looked at Venus, who was still on her knees with the injured Duke on her lap. Duke was wheezing hard, struggling for every breath. "I - I didn't know he was hurt, I swear!" The others could see she was telling the truth. 

"Just leave," Sailor Moon said, her voice dangerously low. 

"But -" Sailor Neptune started to say, but Uranus pulled on her arm, biting her lip as she looked toward Duke. "Never mind Neptune," she said hoarsely. "Let's go." 

The Senshi glared at their backs as the two Senshi lept away, until a sharp, painful-sounding cough caught their attention. Venus squeaked in surprise as Duke moved slightly, then let out a mewling cry of pain. He coughed again, and droplets of blood flecked his lips. 

Sailor Mercury hurried over and dropped to her knees next to him. She started to feel around Duke's rib cage, but jerked her hands away when he let out another cry of pain. "This is very bad..." she murmered. "His ribs were already cracked, and now at least one has to have punctored a lung." She looked around suddenly and gasped when she saw Ryou still unconcious. "Where's...?" 

As if Mercury's words were a signal, Duke's eyes snapped open. His eyes darted around wildly until they came to rest on the nearest familier face, Venus's. He tried to draw a deep breath, and his face crumpled in pain. 

"Don't try and talk." Venus warned, smoothing his now cropped hair away from his face. It was a mark of just how much the Sailor Senshi all cared for him that Sailor Jupiter wasn't trying to tear Sailor Venus to shreads for having Duke on her lap. 

Duke tossed his head from side to side restlessly. "No..." he moaned in something barely above a whisper. "No... where... Ryou?" He tried to take another breath and coughed violently, sending splatters of blood across the front of Venus's fuku. 

Mars kneeled down next to Mercury and leaned in so that her cousin could see her. Her eyes were watering, but she tried not to let her tears show. "I - I'm sorry Duke. He's still unconcious. His Heart Crystal must have gotten smashed in the fight." 

Duke shook his head weakly and tried to sit up, and Venus tightened her grip on his shoulders. "Don't try and move Duke, you're hurt bad." 

"I... know." Duke looked like he was about to say more, but his gaze drifted behind the Senshi's backs to where Ryou lay. Something seemed to startle him, and his eyes widened. He coughed weakly and again tried to sit up, an agonized look on his face. "Fate... you... come... for me?" 

The Senshi turned and gasped to see what looked to them to be an angel who held Ryou in her arms. Her hair was long and blond, her wings one white and one black. Of course, we would know her as the goddess Fate. She smiled slightly at Duke's question and shook her head. "Not yet Duke Devlin, your time has not come." She stepped forward, and all the Senshi except for Venus backed away. Fate kneeled down, cradling Ryou in her lap much the way Venus was Duke. The goddess's smile widened as Duke opened his hands, which up until this point had been clutched against his heaving chest. 

Fate gently took the Crystal from him and placed it above Ryou, watching as it desolved away and back into its rightful host. Ryou stirred slightly as the colour came back into his cheeks and opened his eyes. "Fate-sama?" 

"Yes Ryou," Fate said, helping him to sit up. "It seems you have cheated death once again. Perhaps you should help your friend do the same." 

Ryou's eyes widened and he scrambled off her lap, sensing Duke's pain. "Duke!" 

Duke smiled wanely, already knowing what Ryou would do. Placing his hands over Duke's chest, Ryou closed his eyes and concentrated. A soft white glow started in his palms and spread outward to his fingertips. From there it seemed to leap to Duke, who sighed and relaxed in Venus's arms as the healing took effect. A minute later and it was done, and Ryou was leaning back, exhausted. Fate had long since gone in a swirl of feathers and scales. 

"Arigatou tomodachi Ryou-san.[1]" Duke said quietly. Then he frowned and sat up, fingering his sleek black hair, which had been chopped off unevenly about three inches below his chin by Venus's Cresent Beam. "What the hell happened to my hair?!" 

Venus sweatdropped. "Well, you see..." 

"Hey!" Jupiter interrupted. "How come Duke's on your lap?!" 

"I didn't see you trying to save him from Uranus!" Venus shot back. She jumped to her feet to face Jupiter, uncerimoniously dumping Duke to the ground next to Ryou. 

"I was busy with Neptune!" 

Ryou sighed and chuckled tiredly, running a hand through his tangled hair. "Boys will be boys..." 

"...And girls will be girls." Duke finished with a sigh. 

~*~

"Ooooh! Yugi look, the Eiffel Tower! I'll bet it has a wonderful view from the top." 

Yugi smiled at Tea and nodded. "I'm sure. Want to go see?" 

Tea laughed. "Okay. But we'll have to watch out for purse-snatching lunatics." The two of them snickered, knowing very well what Yami and Bakura had done to the would-be deck thief. 

"Tea..." Yugi said, then hesitated a moment. "Tea, you're not still mad at me for... you know... are you?" 

Tea giggled and shook her head. "No. I know you didn't peek on me on purpose. If it was Joey or Tristan I'd be a bit more upset, but not with you." 

"What about Bakura?" Yugi asked as they got on the elevator for the Eiffel Tower's main observation deck. "Are you still mad at him?" 

"We'll let Amoura handle Bakura." Tea said, winking at him. "Those two really are a pair, even if they don't know it yet." 

"Oh, Bakura knows it." Yugi said, absently resting a hand over the Puzzle. "He's known it ever since he stood up to defend her from Director-Baka." He scowled a little at the mention of their would-be director. "I sure hope someone else is directing the musical this year..." 

Tea chuckled. "I hope we can actually get _through_ the musical this year." she said. "I wonder which one we're going to do..." 

"I've heard a couple different things." Yugi said, shrugging a little. "I've heard Beauty and the Beast, I've heard the Wizard of Oz, and I've heard Oklahoma. Any of those would be good." 

Tea nodded. "Yeah, they'd all be fun to do. I can't wait to audition!" 

Yugi grinned at her. "Well, you'll have a bit of a wait. That's still quite a few months away." The door to the elevator opened, and they stepped out and onto the observation platform. "Wow..." 

The view was spactacular. The sun was just beginning to go down, painting Paris vivid reds and oranges. From where Tea and Yugi stood they could see Notre Dame, its famous stained glass windows looking like they were on fire from the setting sun. The Seine river ran a dark, blue-black ribbon through the center of Paris, criss-crossed by bridges here and there. 

"It's beautiful." Yugi breathed. 

"It's so high..." Tea stepped closer to Yugi, sliding her hand into his. 

He chuckled and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry Tea. You won't fall as long as you don't get too close to the edge." 

"I know." Tea said. "I've just never been very good with heights." 

The two stood silent for awhile and watched the scenery, not realizing that they still held hands. 

~*~

Mako Tsunami, ocean duelist and sailor extrodinare, sighed and drummed his fingers on the counter of the Turtle Game Shop. Soloman was away in Egypt and had left the shop under Mako's care. It sure was beginning to get boring though. Mako wished he could take a day off and go fishing. 

Oh well, at least he was getting paid. 

~*~

It had taken the better part of the day for Shaadi and Shen and a few of the stronger workers to open the door. Isis insisted on having the team's artist, a young Egyptian girl by the name of Nisa, copy down all the carvings on the doors before Shaadi even touched them. That took about two hours, after which Shaadi and Shen all but attacked the door. 

Actually, it was a very tricky business opening it up, because they didn't want to damage any of the carvings, even if they were copied down. They finally got it open around seven that night, and by that time it was time to stop for the day anyway. Shaadi appointed two men that he trusted to stay there and guard the tomb that night, even though they were all camping right around that area. 

Fires were started, and the workers crowded around for supper. Isis, Shaadi, Shen, Soloman, and Arthur had a fire of their own, and Isis had invited Nisa to join them. Isis and Nisa were also sharing a tent, since they were the only two women there. 

"So what do you think we'll find tomorrow?" Soloman asked to the group of archaeologists in general. 

"I dunno," Shen answered, ladeling himself a bowlful of ramen from the pot hanging suspended over the fire. "Boy, I never thought I'd miss instant ramen... We could find any number of things! Are you sure you trust those sentries you posted Shaadi-san?" 

Shaadi nodded, fingering the Ankh, which hung around his neck as usual. Since he was back in the dry desert air of Egypt he'd taken to wrapping his hair back up into a turban, but wore archaeologists clothes just like the rest, having abandoned his long robes. "With my life. Both are cousins of mine, and know the legends of Pharoah Yami. They know how important this tomb is, and while they may take a bit of a peek tonight themselves, they won't disturb anything." 

"Good." Arthur said. Soloman had long since told him that his oldest "grandson" wasn't all he seemed, and Arthur had taken onto the idea of the Millenium Items like a duck to water. 

Suddenly Nisa, who'd been sitting quietly and eating the funny long things that were called "ramen", jumped up and pointed at something, jabbering away in Arabic. Shaadi and Isis, the only two of the group who understood her, quickly looked to where she was pointing. Shen, Soloman, and Arthur quickly followed suit, and the entire group gasped in amazement. 

On top of the cliffs into which the tomb was carved, a bright light was shining. It didn't seem to be steady though, like an electric light, and it didn't dance the way a fire did. Instead, it seemed to wink on and off, and twinkle, like a great star had decided to come down and sit on the cliffs. 

After about a minute or so of watching it, the light went out, and the archaeologists looked excitedly at each other. Isis and Nisa started up a rapid conversation in Arabic while the men tried to figure out what the light had been. 

"You know..." Shen said slowly, stroking his chin. "It looked almost like Ryou does when his aura shines. Like a small, bright star." 

"It did," Shaadi agreed, remembering back to the battle over the Tokyo U drama house, which he'd been there to witness. "But why show up here?" 

Shen shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, that wasn't Ryou. I just said it looked _like_ what Ryou does when his aura comes up." 

"It was a spirit." Isis said, having finished up grilling Nisa. "Or at least that's what the locals think. It shows up about once or twice a month, most often during full moon. If you go up there, you won't find a thing. Nothing that could be reflecting light, nothing at all. But according to Nisa, her uncle's brother's best friend's sister's nephew went up there once _while_ the light was there. He claims he saw two figures, one male and one female, at the edge of the cliff, holding up wands of some sort, and that the light was coming from the end of their wands. He also claims he could see right through them, and that after a minute or so they vanished into thin air." 

"Superstition?" Soloman wondered. 

Shaadi shook his head. "You just saw the light. It wasn't a mass hallucination. In fact..." He frowned slightly as he thought back. "It felt almost magical in nature." 

"Magical?" Isis asked. Suddenly something seemed to dawn on her. "What about our tomb? Could this light have something to do with it?" 

"Possible." Shen said, then yawned. "I guess we'll have to find out in the morning." 

The others agreed, and said their good nights to each other. Shen was of the good fortune to have a tent to himself. The others could have had them, if they'd wanted, but Shaadi had chosen to share with an old friend of his, and Soloman and Arthur had opted to share a tent too. So each of them went their own way. 

Shen entered his tent and sat down at the small desk that had been set up, and turned on his laptop. Mokuba Kaiba had recently sent him a program that coordinated with Ryou's gel-screen computer, and translated all the e-mails between them from romanji[2] to braille and then back again. Settling down in the seat somewhat and making sure the mosquito netting over the window was secure, Shen started to type out a letter to his son, unaware that someone was watching. 

Outside his tent, peeking through the mosquito-proof window, stood two figures. If you could have seen them, you would have saw a man in his mid- to late-twenties, carrying a long staff with a jewel of some sort on one end. The other was a female in her late teens or early twenties, carrying a similar staff. 

"Master, is he the one?" the girl asked. 

The man closed his eyes and for a moment glowed a very vivid purple. Then he opened his eyes and shook his head. "He has connections to the pharoah, but the old one in the other tent had ties much stronger. I do see something intresting about this man though. Can you tell me what it is, apprentice?" 

This time it was the girl who shut her eyes, and she glowed pink for a second. Her forehead creased and she frowned. "No, I can't. I'm sorry Master." 

Her master sighed. "I see he has strong ties to the Lady Fate, as well as to the tomb robber, Bekhura." He sneered a little at this, while the girl clapped her hands. 

"Oh Lady Fate! Perhaps this will turn into a complete reunion, Master!" 

"We can hope." he said, smiling a little. "Now then, rework that spell, and slowly, so I can see what you did wrong." 

"All right Master." 

Unseen and unheard by any mortal eyes and ears, the two mages practiced on for the day when their Pharoah Yuugioh would need their services again. 

~*~

Mai kept running, half-blinded by her tears, not even realizing where her feet were taking her until she found herself _there_. She collapsed onto a bench and began to sob, burrying her face in her hands. A moment later she felt a pair of strong arms around her, and for a brief instant she thought he'd come back to her. But no, when she looked up it was Joey Wheeler's face she saw. Scrunching up her face, she turned away from him. 

"Aw, come on Mai," he said. "Don't be like that! I'm only trying to help. Look, if you want to talk, I'm right here." 

Mai sniffled, flicking a few tears out of her eyes, and turned back to face him. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation." She bit her lip as fresh tears ran down her cheeks. "Last summer, when I ran off, I came here, to Kyoto. No real reason, except that it was far away from Domino, and from you." 

"From me?" Joey asked, surprised. 

Mai nodded. "From you. When I got here, I didn't know anyone. I got a job waitressing at this low-budget diner that I don't think is even around anymore. My boss, this guy by the name of Kale Tarumi, took my under his wing. He got me a place to stay, made sure I was all right. And... and after awhile we began to fall in love. 

"But Kale wasn't all sunshine and roses. He was part of a gang, and so I joined up to be near him. I ended up insulting a rival gang-leader's girlfriend, so I got myself bumped up to the top of their hit list." She chuckled at how absurd it sounded now, months later. 

"I was walking home from work late one night, right through this park. The gang ambushed me, but Kale came out of no where and started fighting them off..." She sobbed again, and this time let Joey pull her into a hug. "And they killed him! Joey, they killed him right here! Right _here_! They told me my debt had been paid for me, and left. Joey, I thought I'd die of heartbreak..." 

Joey hugged her close as she cried, wondering how in the hell he'd fallen back in love with Mai, and how in the hell he was going to compete with a ghost, let alone his cousin, for her heart. 

~*~

Bakura and Yugi were the only ones up. Tea had gone to bed almost as soon as she and Yugi had come back. Valeraine the servents had followed not soon after. Even Madame had turned in at midnight, with a few derogitory comments about Yami's sense of time. It was almost two AM, and the pharoah still had not returned. 

"Do you think he's all right Bakura?" Yugi asked worridly. The two of them were in the livingroom, idly watching some French news network and trying to keep themselves awake to wait for Yami's return. 

"Dunno," Bakura said, sipping at a mug filled with more creame and sugar then actual coffee. "He seemed pretty depressed though, who knows what he may have done." 

Yugi sighed. "I don't like the sound of that..." 

There was a soft footstep behind them, and they turned to see not Yami as they had hoped, but Amoura, with a bathrobe tied around her. "Oh," she said, blinking in surprise. "I did not know you vere still up. My radio zaid zomething about a terrorist strike downtown, zo I vanted to check the news." She looked scared, so Bakura held out a hand to her. 

"Here," he said. "Come sit with us. Just make sure you do some translation." 

Amoura nodded and sat down between them, snuggling down into the couch as Bakura turned up the volume on the TV slightly. The anchorman seemed to be listening to something in his ear piece, and then looked shocked. He composed himself, and began talking in rapid-fire French. 

"Let's zee..." Amoura murmered. " 'Earlier ziz evening tourists vere shocked to report zat an apparent terrorist attack by zee Japaneze 'ad been aimed at zee Arc de Triumph.' " She paused and exchanged started glances with the boys before continuing to translate for the newsman. " ' Kanji zymbols vere found painted acrozz zee front of zee Arc in vat appears to be blood. Ve are told zat zee actual meaning iz very vulgar, but means zomething roughly along zee lines of "Beware, for your mortality zhall be your downfall".' " 

The news room was replaced be a picture of the Arc de Triumph, and it did indeed have kanji and katakana sprayed all along the base, along with a very familiar symbol to anyone who knows Yu-Gi-Oh very well. The two Japanese and the French girl stared in shock as the news report continued on, saying that a witness had been found, but apparently couldn't be interviewed because he thought the microphone was someone's purse. 

They were so stunned, in fact, that they didn't hear the door open or unsteady footsteps approaching them until high pitched giggling made them all jump. Whirling around, they saw Yami leaning against the entrance to the kitchen. His face was flushed, and his clothes were torn and dirty and stained red in places. He giggled again and pointed at the TV. "I ish a good artisht!" 

Bakura frowned and went up to the wayward pharoah. Bakura poked him, and Yami fell over into a heap. "Baku!" Yami giggled, latching himself onto Bakura's ankle. "You'sh are spinning aww over da' place!" 

Bakura wrinkled his nose and bent down to sniff at Yami's breath. "Holy shit Pharoah! You're drunker then Malik was last New Years!" 

Amoura sweatdropped a little as Yami continued to giggle drunkenly. "And zat vas very drunk." 

Yugi looked from his yami to the Eye of Horus scrawled above the kanji on the Arc, and then back to his yami and sweatdropped. "Ooooooh boy..." 

~*~

Ryou tenced as Duke helped him to his feet. "Rigel..." 

"Who?" Sailor Moon asked, confused. 

Ryou pushed Duke away to stand on his own, and turned to face the setting sun. A moment later what looked for all the world to be a Celtic Guardian stepped out of the shadows between two buildings. "Very perseptive of you, Child." 

"What do you want Rigel?" Ryou asked, his fists clenched. If Rigel attacked him here he wouldn't have the strength to fight, and both of them knew it. But he also had the Senshi on his side, and that was well known by both of them as well. 

"I want you to know, little telepath, that we almost had you today. You may like to think you're invincible, but you are not. Just know, Ryou Bakura, that we have not forgotten Briar-Rose, or Firas, or Jalila. We will triumph in the end, Ryou Bakura. One way or another, we will win." With that Rigel waved his hand and vanished, presumably back to the Shadow Realm. 

Ryou stayed standing straight for just an instant longer, then collapsed back to his knees with a sigh. The Senshi and Duke were instantly around him, asking if he was all right. "Just take me home..." Ryou whispered as Tuxedo Kamen picked me up. "Just... I need sleep..." He yawned a little, and then he was indeed asleep. 

Duke smiled at him as the Senshi de-transformed and they all trooped back toward the Hikawa Shrine. Ryou had certainly earned his rest today. 

~*~

The next morning dawned clear and bright, and the archaeologists were hard at work again by six AM. Most of the workers were still asleep, because they were not needed. The room just inside the doorway was surprisingly clear of debris, which ment the rest of the tomb probably would be too. 

Shen was coming up the stairs from the tomb, carrying a fragile vase they'd found inside, just as the sun rose. He delivered the vase to the tent where Isis and Nisa were working to cataloge and tag everything the men were finding. During the afternoon, when it was hot even in the shade, they would all be down in the tomb working on copying and/or interpretting wall paintings. 

For a moment Shen stood and watched the sun rise over the desert. "This is so amazing..." he said quietly, half to himself and half to Isis. "This is one of the reasons I love to work in Egypt. Everything is just so _exactly_ how it was five-thousand years ago." 

"Yes," Isis agreed. "It's very beautiful here. Shaadi and I have plans to stay here our whole lives. Of course, we'll come visit all you in Japan." she said, winking slightly. Shen chuckled and nodded, then excused himself to go back down into the tomb. 

As soon as you went down the shallow steps and through the door, you entered a small aterroom that was about twenty feet square. All the walls were covered with paintings, the floor was littered with goods. On the left wall, an arched doorway led into the darkness of another set of rooms they hadn't had a chance to explore yet, the same with the right. 

Arthur and Soloman were working on the left wall, while Shaadi puzzled over the right. Now that most of the goods, which had been mostly vases and pots, were removed, Shen turned around to the wall that held the entrance to take his own turn at translation. 

They worked on in silence for some hours. Most of what they found were typical verses from the Book of the Dead, as well as blessings. To their puzzlement though, they found no mention of any curses that would fall on any who defiled the tomb. Most tombs had a curse of _some_ kind. 

But it was the fourth wall, the one directly in front of you as you came in, that was the most magnificint and puzzling of them all. Once Isis joined them after a short break for lunch at noon, all five archaeologists converged on this wall so they could work on figuring it out together. On it was a beautiful painting, quite different from the usual Egyptian style. It seemed to be a collage of different scenes from the lives of the tomb's two occupants. So for the most the archaeologists had been able to work out were that they were mages, one male and one female, and had served almost directly under Pharoah Yami, or Pharoah Yuugioh, as the mages knew him. 

The first scene showed two very short versions of the mages, obviously them at young ages, bowing before the pharoah. Strangely enough, the pharoah they bowed to was not Yami, although a very young Yami _was_ in the picture, off to one side. The archaeologists had finally desided that this must have ment that the mages had served Yami's father before Yami himself came to the throne. 

Following that were several scenes of everyday life, hunting, falconing, the learning and casting of spells. Most of these scenes included Pharoah Yami, which confirmed Shen's idea that these mages were very close friends of his. 

The next scene puzzled them all for a long time. It showed some sort of ritual, with Pharoah Yami and the male mage standing side-by-side. Soloman guessed that it was when Yami recieved the Millenium Puzzle, because he was shown wearing it for the first time. But the male mage was wearing what had to be the Millenium Ring, and no one knew why. The Ring was Bakura's, wasn't it? 

The next scene was the one Isis was most intrested in. It resembled the one in her collection with Pharoah Yami and High Priest Seth facing each other in a duel. Except this one was the High Priest verses the male mage, who was again wearing the Ring, with Pharoah Yami standing between them. That symbolized that either he was trying to break them up or (more likely), that he was the reason for the duel. But most baffling of all was that while the High Priest had the Blue Eyes White Dragon hovering over him, just like in the tablet Isis had, the male mage didn't seem to have a monster. He just had his staff, which was pointing toward the Blue Eyes. 

Following that was a scene rather more easy to figure out. The male mage was standing with his arm around the female, who looked (if Isis's translation of the accompanying hieroglyphs was right) to be pregnant with twins. Something must have happened though, because the next panal showed the female mage weeping and the male trying to comfort her. The children weren't mentioned again. Shaadi pointed out that from this point on, the male wasn't wearing the Ring anymore, but none of them could figure out why he was wearing it in the first place, let alone why he now suddenly wasn't. 

The most prominant scene showed the two mages lying in pools of what was assumed to be their own blood, the male's right hand clasped firmly around the female's left. Isis thought it might be their death scene, and Shen half-way agreed with her. But Arthur wasn't so sure, because the last scene of the wall showed them standing together with their staffs raised high, and a powerful light coming off of them. Arthur thought they might have healed themselves somehow, while Isis argued that it was a picture of the afterlife. 

While the two bickered good-naturedly, Shaadi and Shen lit lamps and the two of them, together with Soloman, began to explore the room on the right hand side of the main room. What they found started all three into silence. 

It was a burial chamber with a high ceiling held up by beautifully carved, fluted collumns that looked golden in the flickering lamp light. Standing directly in the center of the floor were two stone sarcophaguses, which had to hold the mummies of the two mages. At the head of each sarcophagus a small hole had been drilled in the floor, and what had to be the mages' staffs were standing upright in front of their master and mistress. The staffs were very, very familiar, especially to Soloman, but for the moment even he took no notice. 

Because curled up on top of one of the sarcphoguses, looking for all the world like it was only asleep, was a bundle of dark, brownish-black fur. Shaadi gasped a little upon seeing it, and the little bundle's eyes shot open, focusing sharply on the three frozen men. It heaved itself to its feet, little green feet, and shook itself, dislodging dust and bits of plaster in all directions. It then got into an attack possition and just stared at them, growling slightly. 

It was a Kuriboh. A real, _live_ Kuriboh, _outside_ the Shadow Realm. 

"Isis!" Shaadi called softly, never taking his eyes off the little brown fuzzball. "Isis, get in here." 

"Shaadi, what are you - " Isis stopped and stared, as did Arthur. Very slowly she swallowed and continued in a much quieter voice, "What do we do?" 

"Don't make it mad." Shen answered in the same sort of voice. 

It was then that the Kuriboh pounced, and all five of them ducked and held up their arms as if to ward off the little furball. Instead of attacking though, what the Kuriboh did really resembled more of a glomp. It attached itself to Shaadi's turban and started cooing happily. 

"Hey now..." Shaadi muttered, reaching up to pry the little beast off. "What do you think you're - OW! Hey, it bit me!" 

Isis stared at it. "I think, Shaadi, you might want to leave it alone." 

"Oh easy for you to say," Shaadi said sourly. "You don't have a Kuriboh on your head." 

"I think it likes you." Soloman noted, trying without success to hold back his chuckles. 

_'Who dares disturb us?'_

The voice was so unexpected that all of them shrieked, including Shaadi's little "friend". They looked at each other with wide eyes and then went running back into the sunlight, where they sat on the sand panting. "Okay," Arthur said. "There are defiantely spirits in there!" 

Isis looked thoughtful as she caught and held Shen's eyes. "I wonder..." 

"I'll e-mail him tonight." Shen promised. 

~*~

[1] Arigatou tomodachi Ryou-san = (roughly) Thank you my friend Ryou. 

[2] Romanji is what we write in, letters and numbers. For the Japanese, it means the literal spelling out of their words, such as 'arigatou' instead of the kanji symbol for 'arigatou'. *sweatdrop* Do you get what I'm saying, or am I just confusing you? 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *bouncing around and squealing* 

Ryou: ;>> Oh what now? 

WSJ: SD Gundam is so _KAWAII_!!!!! I love it to death!!!! *glomps Captain Gundam* He's so cute!!! 

Ryou: *sweatdrop* 

WSJ: ^o^ Well, I guess the occupants of the tomb _didn't_ get revieled this chapter. Hehehe... But we did uncover some intresting stuff, such as Mai's oh-so-tragic past and the fact that Yami can't hold his liquor. *grin* Ah yes, and I want everyone to take a hand at naming the Kuriboh. I already have a couple ideas, the best (and most obvious) so far being "Fluffy". ^~ Any other good Kuriboh names? Anyone? Anyone? Whoever comes up with the name I actually end up using will get a small guest appearence in an upcoming chapter! 

**Chapter 7:** WSJ: (V/O) Next time, on HSH... 

Yami: *groaning* Owww... My head... 

WSJ: (V/O) Yami discovers that hangovers are a bad thing. And that things you do while drunk are even worse. 

Yugi: *screeching at the top of his lungs and waving his arms around* YOU TRIED TO HIT ON THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR'S DAUGHTER!?!? 

Yami: *wincing at the loud noice* Aiiiibou... 

WSJ: (V/O) Rigel reports in to his boss... 

Rigel: *bowing his head slightly* I assure you master, I will not fail again... 

WSJ: (V/O) And Gwen goes hyper. 

Gwen: *bouncing around excitedly* Pegasus Con starts up next week! 

Malik: *spits cereal across the table* Pegasus _what?!_

WSJ: (V/O) And Ryou heads home again to a surprise. 

Ryou: *reading off an e-mail from his father* Spirits in the tomb... Need psychic intervention... Yami unreachable... Do I want to come to Egypt?!? 

WSJ: Next time! ^~ Ja! 

God bless minna-san! 


	7. Pros and Cons

WSJ: *singing* Never was and never will be, you're not real and you can't save me. Somehow now you're everybody's fool... 

Ishtar: X* Make it stop! 

Malik: *hands over his ears* Dear Ra, would you STOP it already onna?! 

WSJ: :p What'sa matter, you don't like my music? 

Malik: No, we don't like your _singing_. There's a difference. 

WSJ: *pout* Anyway, I got Evanescence's _Fallen_ as an early birthday present from a friend last week, and I've been listening to it non-stop. 

Ishtar: I've had about all I can stand of _Everybody's Fool_, _My Immortal_, and _Hello_, which are SJ's favs... 

WSJ: ^o^ _Everybody's Fool_ reminds me of Malik. And yes, it's been done, but I can't help but liken _My Immortal_ to Yami. 

Malik: XP Yes, it's been done. Very. Wait, early birthday present? 

WSJ: :D Yup. My birthday is September 16, today!! *bounces around hyperly* I'm now officially 15! Which means in six months I can get my driving permits!!! 

Malik & Ishtar: O_o; *look at each other and gulp* 

WSJ: The Kuriboh-name winner will be revieled at the very end of this chapter. ^o^ And I must say I found it a hard choice. You guys came up with some great suggestions, and I really wish I could use them all! *hugs* Thanks for all the suggestions!!! 

Malik: *eyes the previous chapters* So what are Ishtar and I doing here? Aren't Ryou and Bakura your usual muses? 

WSJ: ^^; Well yes, but at the moment Bakura is being hypnotised by my lava lamp, and Ryou is pouting. 

Ishtar: ...Pouting? 

WSJ: ^^ Wouldn't you pout if you'd been through everything I've put Ryou up to? 

Ishtar: Now that you mention it... yes. 

WSJ: *looks at her reviews with glee* Yay! ^0^ Yes, you guys are correct. The tomb's occupants are Mahaado and Mana, the very first Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. However, I don't know much about them past the fact that Mahaado held the Ring when it was first created and that Mana was his student. The past that I come up with here is completely AU, I made it up myself. Please do not lecture me about being canon, because in case you haven't noticed this entire series is quite a bit off the regular track. 

Malik: *reads the past SJ has come up with for Mahaado and Mana* O_o; You're a very disturbed person WSJ... 

WSJ: ^^; Coming from you, I guess I'll take that as a compliment. So thank you. 

Malik & Ishtar: v_v; 

WSJ: Oh yes! And guess what! I'm happy!! ^^ Next year, in the spring of 2005, (which makes it the spring of my sophmore year in high school) my French class is taking a trip to France! *sighs happily* I hope I can raise enough money to go. If anyone's got any good money-raising ideas, make sure to toss them my way! 

Ishtar: >> You. In France. In _Paris_... Poor Amoura. v_v 

WSJ: Anyway, has anyone noticed that the chapters keep getting longer? Oo; Should I try and shorten them up some, or are you guys all all right with longness? 

Malik: *pokes her* Just get to the chapter already. 

WSJ: Okay, okay... *punches the play button on her stereo, which starts blasting _My Last Breath_* ^^ Mood music. 

Ishtar: Oo; If THAT'S mood music, I don't want to be here anymore... 

Malik: v_v; You and me both... 

WSJ: ^o^\\// 

Disclaimer: You all should know by now. 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 7 -- Pros and Cons 

_Quote of the chapter: _

"Oh dear. My heart bleeds."   
"…Don't tempt me."   
~(Yami and Bakura; Angelforceus; A Day of Shopping) 

Yami groaned and opened his eyes, immediately closing them again as the bright light hit him in the back of the head like a sledge hammer. "Am I dead?" he asked sluggishly, groaning again. He tried to move, but sighed and stopped as pain rocketed through his head. 

A very angry voice penetrated his thoughts, apparently in answer to his question. "No, you are _not_ dead Yami Sef Moto [1], but in about ten seconds you are going to wish you were!" 

Someone chuckled. "Yup, you may not be in hell pharoah, but your little hikari sure is acting like a demon!" There was a sound like a rolled up news paper hitting flesh, and the person who'd spoken second laughed. "_Very_ like a demon. He's been running around with that stupid paper and ranting at random objects all morning." 

Yami cracked his eyes open, squinting against the sunlight and trying to ignore the pain at the back of his brain. "Now I know how Osirus Tutankhamen felt...[2]" he slurred, half to himself. Through the bright light and his pounding head he could just make out Bakura in the corner of the room, standing with his arms crossed and his shoulders shaking in silent laughter. 

Nearer at hand stood Yugi, and Yami was a bit surprised at the look on his aibou's face. Yugi was fuming, and was smacking a rolled up newspaper against his hand with a peeved look on his face. Apparently, the sound Yami had heard earlier had indeed been Yugi hitting Bakura with said newspaper. 

"Yugi?" Yami asked plaintively, a bit scared by the look on his hikari's face. "It's bright in here. Could you close the curtains?" 

Yugi exploded, almost causing Bakura to lose his fragile grip on his tongue and laugh out loud. "No, I will NOT close the curtains!! If you want to go out and get drunk you get to suffer the hang-over!" He lept forward, shaking the paper in Yami's face. "I can't believe you Yami!!! You - you _desecrated_ the Arc in - in _blood_ and attemped rape on the ambassador's daughter! I don't know what to do with you!!!" 

Yami winced a little and pushed himself up on his elbows. _'Gee,'_ he thought sourly to himself, _'So this is nausea. How pleasent.'_ "Desecrate is a harsh word aibou," he said, as firmly as he could. The truth was that Yugi was scaring him shitless. Yugi was starting to remind Yami of... himself... "It wasn't blood, it was red spray paint. You know as well as I that the media always blows things way out of proportion. And I didn't _rape_ her." he stopped and sweatdropped a little. "At least, I don't think so..." 

"Oh, you didn't rape her," Yugi said unhappily, his mouth turning down at the corners. He unrolled the newspaper and stuck it in Yami's face. A giant picture of the vandelized Arc covered almost the entire front page. "But according to _this_ you attempted to grope her, kiss her, and drag her into a dark alley. Yami, your description is all over the front page! And therefore _my_ description is all over the front page!!!" 

Yami was beginning to sweat all over. "Did I mention I don't hold liquor well?" 

In the corner Bakura finally gave up and sat down on the floor, leaning up against the wall and holding his stomach as he laughed helplessly. "Oh we found _that_ out the hard way, didn't we pharoah?" He gulped in air and wiped a tear of mirth out of his eye as Yami glared at him. 

"Shut your mouth tomb raider." Yami said sourly, settling back against the pillows and pouting. 

That sent Bakura back into spasms of laughter as Yugi looked on curiously. Finally Bakura had calmed down enough to explain, "I was always trying to get into the royal treasury. It was my one dream. So in one attempt I substituted the mild wine pharoah here usually drank for the strong stuff the peasents kept." Bakura snickered. "I was hoping to knock him out so I could get at the treasure. Unfortunately, Yami didn't just pass out like I had hoped, but attempted to drag the Queen of Persia to bed with him. I didn't get into the treasury, but it did make for one great show!!" Bakura relaxed back into gales of laughter as Yugi sweatdropped. 

"What is it with you getting drunk and going after women?" Yugi asked, semi-glaring at his Yami. 

"Because he can't get any any other way?" Bakura dodged the pillow Yami heaved his way and fled the room, still laughing to himself. 

~*~

"Rigel, I will not stand for this." 

Rigel winced a little at his master's words, but did not look up from his place kneeling on the stone floor, one hand over his chest in a salut. He knew he had failed to capture the telepath's heart when he had boasted so highly that he could, and that would cost him. "I assure you Master, Mistress, I will not fail again." 

It was Mistress who spoke up this time from her throne beside Master's. "You had better not Rigel. Our hosts become restless. The sooner we can bring our true selves into this realm the better. Then these worthless human hosts will be of no use to us." 

Rigel dared to risk a glance at the two beings who controlled his destiny. They sat side-by-side on identical thrones, surrounded by stuffed animals and toys to indulge their childish human hosts. Mistress's host had short black hair and a frail-looking figure, and was dressed in a deep purple and black dress. Master was dressed in purple and black as well, and the low light glinted off his host's glasses. 

Master and Mistress had many names, too many worth mentioning, but as far as Ryou Bakura was concerned they were and would be known as the True Pharoah, or Pharoah 90, and Mistress 9. Both were higher entities, spirits, Rigel believed them to be gods, possessing human hosts. But as soon as Rigel and his companions had suceeded in their quest to find the three pure hearts that held the Talismans of Power, Mistress and Master would be able to cast aside their human shells and enter the world in their true forms, which currently resided in another dimention. 

"I will avenge Jalila and Firas and Briar-Rose." Rigel promised fiercly. "I swear it." 

From behind him came a high pitched, squeeling laugh. "Swearing is not good for your soul Rigel, you should learn that it can only do you harm." 

Rigel growled, but otherwise did not turn or acknowledge the presence of Kaolinite, his supposed "partner" in his missions. Master and Mistress, however, had higher concerns to worry about then petty grievences. 

"What news Kaolinite?" Master asked, absently playing with the crook and flail that rested on his lap. 

Kaolinite bowed, her flame red hair falling forward to hide her face for a moment. "Master, Mistress, I have selected the next target." 

"Are you and Rigel not supposed to work together?" Mistress asked, a frown crossing her host's pretty face. 

Rigel could no longer hold his tongue and he jumped to his feet, his hand gripping his sword hilt half out of anger and half out of preoccupation. "Mistress I cannot work with Kaolinite! She is petty and rude and will never listen to my oppinions. I can do just as well on my own!" 

Kaolinite scowled at him. "Who are you calling petty you ignorant, uncivilized _beast_?" 

Rigel's growl deepened, and his hand tightened on his sword before Master spoke. "Rigel, Kaolinite, stop this at once! We must work together or all is lost. The Sailor Senshi are drawing closer every day, and we still have not secured even one of the Talismans!" 

Rigel and Kaolinite both instantly dropped to their knees in a bow, murmering a quiet "Yes Master." as they did. 

Master settled back into his seat, but the frown did not leave his face. "Two of the Trinity are on their side, but we have just as much power as them." A sly smile crossed his face. "After all, they may have Diamond-White and Crystal-Clear, but we have Obsidian-Eyes and Sailor Saturn." Mistress laughed at that and ran a hand seductively up Master's arm. "We _will_ win," Master said, placing his hand over Mistress's. "As long as we remain united. Now Kaolinite, tell me about this new target." 

Kaolinite tossed a triumphant smile Rigel's way and climbed to her feet. "He has witnessed several Daimon/Senshi battles, but that shouldn't be a problem. I plan to attack while he is at a large public 'convention' next week, completely out in the open and unprotected." Master and Mistress listened intently as she continued on, but Rigel stalked from the room, his cape swirling behind him. 

"This is not over 'Kaori'..." he muttered to himself. "Watch your tongue or you shall find it cut from your head..." 

~*~

Ryou walked into the house, dropping his bag onto the carpet with a sigh. It was good to be home. His cat, Socrates, rubbed around his ankles and began to purr loudly, so he bent down to give her a scratch behind the ears. "Sorry I've been gone," he said, picking up the cat and continuing to pet her as he walked toward the kitchen. It had been a long bus ride home from Juuban, and he was thirsty. 

Dispite all Ryou's protests and pleadings, Duke had refused to come back to Domino with the telepath. "I don't know how I know," Duke had told him. "But I'm meant to stay here." Reluctantly, Ryou had agreed. 

After getting a drink and making himself a sandwich, Ryou sat down at his computer to check his e-mail. The day before yesterday he'd gotten one from his father about some sort of supernatural light at the top of the platau near where they were working, and Ryou hoped he might have an update. Sure enough, his account logged in two new messages. 

The first was from Bakura, the second from Shen. Ryou opened the one from his "oniisan" first. 

_Ryou,   
Yami's gone and done something stupid again. I can't tell you much that the newspapers probably haven't already, but suffice to say that we're going to have to lay low for awhile. Don't worry about us, we'll get through just like we always do. Here's hoping Yami hasn't drunkenly started an international war.  
Yours, Bakura_

Ryou twitched a little at that. That morning Duke had read the paper to him and they'd heard all about the "Yami scandel", as they'd termed it. Of course, the Tokyo newspaper had a rather more Japanese slant then the Parisian one did. Ryou almost felt sorry for the Japanese government. They didn't have anything to do with it, but of course France didn't believe this. 

Ryou sighed and shook his head ruefully, and then opened his father's e-mail. 

_Ryou,   
We've made some very intresting discoveries here, including what we're convinced are spirits haunting "our" tomb. And you may not believe it when we say it, but there's also a real Kuriboh. A live one, no less. You've heard Shaadi say that there's a mummified Ferral Imp and two stuffed Kuriboh's in Yami's tomb, but this one is live, I assure you. But I should probably get to the point of this, shouldn't I? _

We need you Ryou. The spirits, or whatever they are, won't talk to us, and whenever we try and get into the tomb now something happens to drive us out. Our lights blow out every single bloody time we try and go in, for no reason at all! Once, Shaadi and I tried to go in by feel alone, but both of us started to get a really bad feeling that something would collapse on us if we tried to go much farther, so we got out of there fast. 

It's beginning to drive us all a little crazy. There's too many mysteries to solve that we can't even start on without getting into that tomb! We know that the door on the right leads into the burrial chamber, but we don't have so much as a hint as what is on the left! Not only that, but Isis is convinced that if we could only get a good look at the hieroglyphics in the burrial chamber a lot more of Yami's past would come clear! 

Unfortunately, Yami is unreachable right now. We've tried calling the number he gave us for Amoura's home, but no one picks up the phone. We assume you know why, but it is very frustrating to us.

So what we're asking is this, my son. Could you hold off on your classes and come down to Egypt for even a week? Any help you could give us would be much appreciated.   
All my love, Father 

Ryou stopped and sat still for a moment, then hurridly ran his fingers over the braille, reading the letter again. Then he groaned and sat back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. He'd just gotten home, for pity's sake! Finally he stood up and moved to the kitchen to call Raiden-san and let him know he'd be abandoning his classes for another week. As he dialed, Ryou sighed again. 

"Why me?" 

~*~

The children of Keith's little tour were bouncing around like jumping beans as the Chinese woman led Keith through the center of town. His escort had long black hair done up in two buns on either side of her head, and had given her name as Purfume. Her Japanese was faulty, but at least she spoke a little. As they went through the center of town other Amazons came out to see what the comotion was about, giving Keith pleanty of time to drool. 

"Nihao!" One of the other Amazons called out in Chinese. ":Purfume, what do you have here?:" 

Purfume bowed to the older woman. ":He is a slave I captured near the river. I will go put him with the other one.:" 

":The village is being very profitable while our Matriarch is away.:" the other Amazon laughed. ":Just wait until Cologne and Shampoo return!:" Purfume laughed and nodded along with her. 

The senior Amazon nodded. ":And the children?:" Purfume shrugged helplessly, and the woman cackled. ":Just leave them to me.:" 

Purfume nodded, quite happy to do just that. She sketched another bow to the woman and continued to lead Keith through the village, toward the hut at the other side. When they arrived she pulled back the flap of hide used as a door and motioned for him to enter. He did, and stopped dead in his tracks. "YOU!" 

On the other side of the small hut, lounging on a pile of pillows dressed in tight leather with a chain around his neck and definately not looking happy about it was one Tristan Taylor, who looked even less happy when Bandit Keith walked in. 

~*~

Rebecca giggled and snuggled down next to Mokuba on the couch as the older boy offered her some popcorn. "What are we watching?" 

Most of the servents had the night off, and so Mokuba and Rebecca had decided to do a little movie watching. It was storming outside, so there wasn't much else they could do. Currently they were sitting together on the couch that directly faced the huge screened TV, with a big bowl of popcorn between them. Mokuba was doing his best to ignore Seto's grumblings in the back of his mind. 

"Lord of the Rings: Two Towers extended edition!" 

"Ohhhh..." Rebecca said, her eyes widening. "But that doesn't come out in America for another month!" 

Mokuba grinned mischieviously. "I know." he said smuggly. "There are advantages to being the CEO of one of the biggest technology-based companies in the world." 

Rebecca laughed at him. "You pirated a movie?! Mokuba!" 

"What?" he asked "innocently". "I couldn't stand to wait another month for it to come out! And I'm _desperate_ to watch it with cast commentary. The commentary on Fellowship was absolutely _hilarious_!" 

Rebecca and Mokuba looked at each other and smothered laughter as Mokuba hit the "play" button. "Tig!" 

//Oh please...// Seto grumbled as the opening credits began to roll with Japanese subtitles underneith. //Couldn't you have picked a... a... less fantasy-type movie?// 

Mokuba snorted mentally and turned up the volume on the TV. /Like what?/ 

//Like... Freddy vs. Jason.// Seto said, pouting slightly. //If you're going to pirate something, at least pirate something good.// 

Mokuba surpressed the urge to shudder. /I didn't like your obsession with American horror movies when I was little, and I don't like it now./ 

Seto snorted, but said nothing. 

It was forty-five minutes later, during the middle of the Battle of Helms Deep, when things went array. 

" 'Do you want me to discribe it for you or shall I go find you a box?' " Mokuba and Rebecca spoke the line along with Legolas and then began to giggle madly like the fifteen-year-olds they were. All at once the lights went out, as a tremendous crash of thunder shook the mansion. Rebecca shrieked and grabbed onto Mokuba's arm as the TV flickered and then died, leaving them in complete darkness and silence, save the rain outside and the sound of their heavy breathing. 

"Mokuba?" Rebecca whispered, although she wasn't really sure why she was. "Mokuba?" 

"I'm right here 'Becca." Mokuba assured her. "You have my arm in a death-grip." 

"Ooops, sorry," Rebecca said, loosening her grip sheepishly. The two sat huddled in darkness, until there was a loud thump from upstairs. Rebecca and Mokuba both shrieked and jumped, clinging to each other. "Wh-what was that?" Rebecca asked shakily. 

Mokuba gulped and stared into the darkness, just as a loud moan split the air. "I don't want to know!" 

"It's a ghost!" Rebecca whimpered, throwing her arms around Mokuba. At any other time he might have enjoyed this, but he was clinging to her just as much as she was to him. "It's your big brother come back to haunt us!" 

Mokuba gulped again. He knew this "ghost" wasn't Seto, but... 

Sitting in the darkness with Rebecca in his arms and something clattering around upstairs, Mokuba tried _very_ hard not to think about Gozenboru. 

~*~

"DUKE!!!" 

"Gurk!" Duke rolled out of bed, falling to the floor with a thud. He thrashed around on the floor for a moment, then looked up at his waker, slightly disoriented. "Rei-chan?" 

Rei was dressed already in her red and white temple priestess robes, and was glaring at him with her hands on her hips. "Get your lazy bum out of bed already and get to work! This shrine doesn't run itself!" 

Duke blinked at her for a moment longer, and then suddenly began to laugh. It was the day after Ryou had left, four days since that explosive battle in which Ryou's heart had been stolen and returned, and Duke's ribcage had been effectively smashed and repaired. The last several days had been spent on rest and recuperation, but apparently Rei thought it was time for him to get back to work. 

"Sorry Rei-chan," he said after he managed to gether himself. "But I've got other work to do." 

"Other work?" Rei asked, slightly exasperated. "What could be more important then helping me at the shrine?" 

Duke smirked at her with a gleam in his eye as he stood up and set about digging through his bag for a shirt. "Dungeon Dice Monsters Rei-chan, Dungeon Dice Monsters." 

"Your game?" 

Duke nodded, his smirk widening somewhat. "For the next week I'm booked solid with talks, autograph signings, and promotional duels." He laughed again at the look on Rei'd face. "Two words cousin of mine. Otogi Con." 

(WSJ: I read somewhere, I think, that "Otogi" means "dice", but I can't be sure... *shrug*) 

~*~

It was a cold, rainy morning (do they have those in California?), but Gwen seemed abnormally bouncy. She entered the dining room at a spirited trot, and everyone looked up at her bleary-eyed as she made herself a cup of coffee, humming some unnamable show tune under her breath. 

"...You have no right to be so happy." Ishtar told her after a moment. 

The kids were grouchy because they couldn't go outside. The adults were grouchy because they were stuck with the kids. Malik was grouchy because it was cold out, and Ishtar was grouchy because it was raining. Hiro was grouchy because everyone else was grouchy, so there was no telling why Gwen was so happy. Most of the kids were either in their rooms being grouchy or sitting around the TV being grouchy. Malik and Hiro were eating cereal, Mr Kennady and Ishtar were sipping mugs of coffee. Gwen's aunt and uncle were no where in sight. 

Gwen laughed at Ishtar's comment, leaning up against the counter and surveying the grouchy table. "Me? You bet I have a right to be happy. You guys will be too, soon enough." 

"Have you read the paper yet?" Mr Kennady asked, shoving the Las Angeles Times her way. On the front page was a picture of the Arc de Triumph, with some sort of red scribbles around the base. Gwen picked it up and blinked. "Hmmm... Says here that a young Japanese man, estemated about twenty years of age, was seen vandelizing the Arc last night. Apparently, he got away." She read a little farther, and her eyes widened. "Oh hell!" 

"What?" Malik asked, leaning over her shoulder dispite the fact he couldn't read English. 

"France is thinking about declaring war on Japan! The kanji on the Arc apparently says something along the lines of 'Your mortality shall be your downfall' and France is taking it as a threat. Not only that, but apparently some ambassidor's daughter was nearly raped, they think by the same guy." She read on and sweatdropped. "The description the girl gave was a man of about five feet, three inches with spikey black and blond hair and narrow violet-red eyes. She says he was drunk too." She exchanged worried glances with her friends. 

"Oh wonderful..." Malik groaned, putting his head in his hands. "The pharoah's done it again..." 

Hiro frowned at Gwen as three brain cells finally lined up in a moderately-straight line. Hey, it was too early in the morning to be thinking. "What are you wearing?" 

Gwen chuckled at that too, and looked down at her outfit. She was dressed in a dark purple suit and an orange tie, and behind her on the counter sat a purple hat that looked vaguely familiar. Mr Kennady laughed too and shook his head. "Is it that time of year already Gwen?" 

"Yup, you bet." Gwen said, nodding. She then turned back to her puzzled Japanese friends. "Pegasus Con is on this week." she said, as if that explained everything. 

Ishtar choked on his coffee, and Malik sputtered, spraying half-chewed cereal all over the table. "Pegasus _what_?" he asked, wiping his mouth off on his sleeve. 

"Pegasus Con." Gwen repeated. "It's a big Duel Monsters convention that California hosts every year in memory of Mr Pegasus. It's starting today, and I need to be there for the opening ceremonies. I figured you guys would want to come. At least it would get you out of the house and away from my sibs." 

"You have to be there?" Hiro asked, absently mopping a bit of Malik's cereal off his cheek. 

Gwen blinked at him. "Well duh. I never mentioned that I'm California's top duelist?" 

Malik, Ishtar, and Hiro oogled at her. "Did you go to nationals?" Malik finally asked. 

Gwen nodded agian and smiled. "Yes, but I didn't do so well. Out of fifty duelists (the top duelist from each state), I placed 18th." 

"Still, that's not too bad." Ishtar pointed out. "So because of that you're being forced to go to this convention thing?" 

"Well, not _forced_..." Gwen shrugged and picked up her hat, twirling it absently between her fingers. "I would have gone anyway." 

"So what's with the suit?" Hiro asked. 

"What, you've never heard of cos-play?" Gwen asked. "I'm going as the Witty Phantom, of course!" 

At which point Hiro, Malik, and Ishtar each privately decided that their hostess was most definately nuts. 

~*~

Bakura was still chuckling as he made his way downstairs, where Tea, Amoura, and Grandmama were sitting around the kitchen table and attempting to come up with some sort of plan. 

"In less then a few hours Japanese are not going to be welcome here." Tea said, frowning. The three women glanced up as Bakura joined their circle. "This is not good." 

"It's all Yami's fault." Madame fumed, crossing her arms and frowning decisively. "If only he could learn a little restraint...!" 

Bakura chuckled. "Much as I agree with you Madame, I am partially to blame as well. I should have kept with him." He lowered his head a little, but Tea's sly comment jerked it back upward as if on a string. 

"You didn't keep an eye on Yami because you wanted to hurry back to the limo to be with Amoura." 

Bakura sputtered at her as Amoura blushed deeply, and finally the white-haired thief just stuck his tongue out at her and turned away. "Oh, very mature." Tea laughed. "But right now we've got bigger things to worry about then you and Amoura." 

Amoura sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "It iz zo, and you cannot ztay 'ere. Zee French governement may blame you!" She cast a shrewd glances toward Yami's room. "Even if it iz your fault." 

Madame snapped her fingers suddenly. "Amoura, I know just what we'll do. We still own that little cabin up near that Switz ski resort, right over the border into Switzerland. You five can go hide out there for a week or so, until all this blows over." 

"Five?" Bakura, Tea, and Amoura chorused in surprise. 

Madame nodded sagely. "Amoura is the only one of you who can speak passible French, so she'll have to go with you." The old woman smiled. "Cheer up. Make it into a holiday. Have you been skiing before?" Bakura and Tea shook their heads, and her smile widened. "There, you see? Now is the perfect time to learn." 

"All right then," Bakura said hesitantly. "When do we leave?" 

~*~

Joey lay awake that night in the hotel room, staring up at the ceiling and lost deep in thought. Even the synchronized snoring of Scott and Duo wasn't enough to move him. He thought about a lot of things. 

He thought about Serenity, and about how she was growing up so fast. One more year and she'd be in college with them! His little imouto-chan wasn't so little anymore. 

He thought about Ryou, and his love for Serenity. Ryou was so powerful, Joey knew he'd do anything to protect Serenity. How many times had Ryou already saved her life? Twice, three times? 

He thought about himself, and how he'd never be as strong or smart or powerful as Ryou, but somehow Serenity still loved him more then her white-haired boyfriend. How was that? Aw, he was just her big brother, nothing special. He'd never be able to do the things Ryou did. But maybe... Maybe he didn't have to? 

And most of all, he thought about Mai. Those jerks who killed her lover... Maybe... Joey almost didn't dare think of it. Maybe he could find them, and get revenge for Kale. Maybe then he'd be the hero in Mai's eyes. Maybe... 

Joey rolled over and sighed, resigned to the fact that sleep would not find him this night. 

~*~

By the time the plane landed in Cairo, Ryou was just about asleep. So it was a sleepy and much-hasseled telepath that made his way down from the plane, the wire cat carrier in one hand and a suitcase in the other. 

Shen and Isis were there to greet him, and Shen was so surprised at seeing his son hauling the cat carrier along that he didn't notice the look on Ryou's face. "Ryou!" Father and son hugged, and if Shen noticed that Ryou squeezed him with just a little extra tightness, he didn't give any sign. 

"Thank you for coming," Isis said, sharing a friendly hug with Ryou as well. 

"It was no trouble," Ryou the ever-polite said. "I do hope I can help." 

"So do we," Shen said. "Ryou, why did you bring Socrates along?" 

"Oh," Ryou looked surprised. "I didn't think you'd mind. She can catch mice or rats or whatever in the tombs, and I figured she might like a little fresh air and new faces after you and I have been gone so long." 

"You?" Shen asked as the three of them began to walk out to where the car was waiting. "Where have you been Ryou?" 

Ryou realized his slight mistake and laughed to cover it up. "Oh, I went to visit Duke Devlin in Juuban. I'd no sooner gotten home then I got your e-mail and turned around to come to Egypt." 

They got into the car and Shen started it up. Once they were well on their way to the dig Ryou undid the latch to the carrier and let Socrates out into the car. She curled up happily on his lap and began to purr. The ride was about a half-hour long, and taken up by Isis and Shen describing what they'd found and what they hoped Ryou could do to help them. 

They approached the dig from the south, a small cluster of tents under majestic sandstone cliffs that seemed to rise out of the desert like a sheer wall. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, when the sun was at its hottest, so everyone was under whatever shade they could find. As Shen pulled the car to a stop near the outskirts of the tents, Ryou was rooting around in his bag and muttering to himself. After a moment he threw up his hands in exasperation. "I don't believe this!" 

"Don't believe what?" Isis asked as she got clambered out of the jeep and turned to face him. 

Ryou sighed as he slung his bag onto his back and picked up Socrates. "I _know_ I packed a hat! Or at least, I thought I did..." 

Dispite the fact that his son looked so cross, Shen couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Uh oh... Ryou, you're going to go home as red as a lobster." 

Ryou made a face. "I know. And just about as broiled. Dad and I have been to Egypt before," Ryou explained to Isis. "And unfortunately, I do not tan like otou-san and Bakura do. I burn. Easily and badly." He sighed again. "At least this time I'll be in the tomb itself, not outside hauling sand." He cast a semi-glare at his father at these words, but Shen only laughed again. 

(Lol, kudos to Yokomon 52 for the idea of Broiled-Lobster Ryou. ^~ Gee, I wonder if that's anything like Suntan Barbie... Warm water makes him burn, cold water turns him pale again... XD) 

The three were approaching the steps down into the tomb now, near which were the trio of tents where the archaeologists had been staying. Arthur and Soloman had the biggest, so it was toward this tent they went. Indeed, Ryou could sense Arthur, Soloman, Shaadi, and a funny little greenish-blue aura inside. He stopped for a moment outside the door, puzzled at this fourth presense. It wasn't human, but from what he could tell it wasn't animal either. 

Shen and Isis were looking at him strangely, so he shook himself out of his thoughts and stepped inside the tent. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten that he still had Socrates in his arms, and that turned out to be a mistake. 

The little she-cat took one look at the ball of fuzz still sitting on top of Shaadi's head and began to hiss and squirm to get out of Ryou's arms. Additionally, the little Kuriboh was also hissing at Socrates, its claws digging into Shaadi's turban as it made agressive little 'woo woo' noises. 

"Shoot!" Ryou said, wrestling to keep the cat in his arms. "Dad, take her for me. I didn't think about Socrates not liking whatever it was you guys found." Shen took the cat from Ryou and took her outside. Once Socrates was gone, Shaadi's little attaché began to calm down somewhat. 

Ryou sighed and dusted himself off. "Okay, now let me see this little... thing you've found Shaadi-san." 

Shaadi chuckled as he extracted the Kuriboh from his head. "It more of found me, I think. We walked into the burial chamber and it looked like it was going to attack us. Then it decided to glomp me instead." 

Ryou kneeled down next to where Shaadi was holding the Kuriboh on his lap and reached out a hand to pet it. Dispite not having a visible nose, the little Kuriboh sniffed him for a moment, then 'woo'ed and rubbed up against his hand. Ryou chuckled and closed his eyes, reaching out to attempt to speak with it. The Kuriboh froze and stared at Ryou with its big blue eyes. "Coo...?" it asked cautiously. 

_(It's all right...)_ Ryou soothed mentally. _(I don't want to hurt you. What is your name?)_

_*No name Old Master give me no name New Master name me?*_

Its thoughts were jumbled, but clearly intellegent. "What's her name Shaadi?" Ryou asked with his eyes still closed. 

"Her?" Shaadi asked, startled. Ryou nodded, and he sweatdropped slightly. "So much for calling it Fido..." 

"She's very intellegent," Ryou chuckled as the Kuriboh hopped up and down at the indignaty of being called 'it'. 

"Priestess." Isis said suddenly. "Her name is Priestess." 

Shaadi shrugged. "Fine with me." 

_(Your name is Priestess.)_ Ryou told her telepathicly. 

_*Good name very very good I like it good name.*_

_(Who was your old master?)_

_*Old Master Mage Mahaado longlong ago very long ago Mistress Mage Mana too.* _

(Are they the ones in the tomb?) Ryou asked, his excitement growing. 

Priestess began to hop up and down on Shaadi's lap again, and in her excitement she leaped onto Ryou's head and sat down in his hair, still making happy 'woo woo' and purring noises. _*Yes yes! Master Mage say 'Guard tomb' and Mistress Mage crying and Master Mage saying 'We will die soon' and Mistress Mage saying 'We love you' and Master and Mistress Mage make me sleep long time longlonglong time asleep.*_

Ryou was beginning to get a headache from going round and round trying to decypher Priestess's thoughts. _(You've been asleep five thousand years?)_

_*Don't know no don't know long time very very long then strangers come in but one Mistress Ishtar and one Master Guardian but no Master Mages and no Master Pharoah but okay okay because of Master Guardian Shaadi.*_

_(Thank you,)_ Ryou said, reaching up to massage his temples a little. _(You've been a big help.)_

_*Yes yes Master Fate's Spawn!*_ Priestess cooed happily and jumped back onto Shaadi's lap, then turned to give the surprised Ryou a big slobbery Kuriboh-kiss before jumping back to Shaadi's head. 

Ryou sat in stunned silence for a moment, and then became aware of a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Isis holding out a glass of water and a couple asprin to him, and he took them gratefully. "Thank you much... Kuso! The way she 'talks' is addicting." He swallowed the asprin and then took a seat on a nearby crate. Everyone else was sitting around various places in the tent, and were now gazing at him expectantly. 

Ryou chuckled as he mentally reviewed the conversation he'd just had. "Apparently she belonged to the tomb's two occupants, at least to a certain extent." His eyes brightened. "Oh, and I've learned their names. Apparently they were mages under Yami's service, and went by the names Mahaado and Mana. I think they knew they were going to die before they actually did, because they put Priestess 'to sleep' and ordered her to guard their tomb. She says she was going to attack you when you came in because you were strangers, but that..." he thought back to Priestess's exact words. " 'It was okay because Master Guardian Shaadi.' She also mentioned Master Pharoah, whom I assume is Yami, and Mistress Ishtar, that would be you Isis-san." He chuckled again. "And she called me 'Master Fate's Spawn'. I've been called Child of Fate before, but never quite like that..." 

Shen snickered a little. " 'Fate's Spawn'? Wait until Bakura hears this one..." 

Ryou groaned a little, then chuckled himself and stood up. "I may as well get this over with. Now that I know the names of the spirits in the tomb (it's a little obvious that the spirits are the ones buried there) maybe I can talk to them." 

Isis caught his arm as he started for the tent flap. "Ryou," she said seriously, "Be careful. Some of the drawings show the Mage Mahaado wearing the Millenium Ring, and we don't know why. Just be on guard." 

"My Ring?" Ryou's hand strayed up to rest over the Ring, which hung around his neck as always. "Thank you for the warning Isis-san." 

He stepped out of the tent and into the blistering heat of Egypt, and the others followed. Socrates was prowling around outside the door, but she and Priestess didn't attempt to jump at each other again. They headed for the tomb, and the other archaeologists stayed on the steps outside as Ryou ventured into the dark cavern, alone. 

~*~

[1] Apparently, Yami has a middle name, and Yugi somehow knows it. ^~ Either Yami actually remembered his middle name or he adopted one once he started pretending to be Yugi's brother, either way works. *shrug* The name Sef is Egyptian (duh? Like Yami would have any other middle name?) and means "yesterday". ^^ Rather fitting, I thought. *snickers* Bakura and Ishtar have taken middle names too. Bakura's I already know, but if anyone comes up with something for Ishtar I'll give you a cameo later on. ^_~\\// 

[2] Tut's mummy shows some signs of trauma to the back of his head. ^^ Yami was attempting to make a joke. I'm not sure how well it went over... *shrug* Ah well, Egyptian pharoah's weren't known for their sense of humor anyway. ^^; 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *claps her hands* How fun!! So we have another contest starting right now. It will again earn you a cameo in a future chapter. Coming up with a middle name for Ishtar.... *grin* Good luck all! 

*smile* As you all have by now obviosuly found, the name that won out was MorTae's choice of "Priestess". MorTae, e-mail me at _yamatos_fangirl@hotmail.com_ sometime in the next few days so I can get some info for your cameo. ^^ Should I announce the runners-up? Ah, I may as well. ^^ So here we go. The top five names (besides the winning "Priestess"), in no particular order, are: 

Khalid (Cettie-Girl)   
Dust Bunny (MorTae)   
Chiree (Amiasha Ruri)   
Arf (Sesca 3)   
and Roo (Sesca3) 

^^ Really though, I got a lot of good suggestions, and it was hard enough for me to narrow it down to six, let alone choose one! ^^ So anyway, hurrah for MorTae, and everyone suggest Ishtar's middle name. 

Okay, minor note here. Several people have commented/complained that in the last chapter of SoS Bakura says "Watashi wa Bakura, wanna be friends?" Yes, I know Bakura would be much more likely to say ore, or even boku. I used watashi because I read somewhere the the first words Ryou ever spoke directly to Bakura were "Watashi wa Ryou, wanna be friends?" So I purposely had Bakura repeat those words, as if to signify a new beginning for them. *shrugs* Just clearing that up so my Japanese grammar doesn't seem as horrible as it is... ^_~ 

Mwahaha. Happy tales ya'll. My next update may be pretty far in the future, because I just started on a big new project. How many of you guys have read _The Child Who Suffers_? Well, guess what. I'm finally getting around to working on a sequel/companion fic for it, which is taking up most of my time. So make sure ya'll encourage me to get this new fic done fast so I can get back to HSH! It's called _Pity the Child_, and focuses on a much-abused pair of siblings who are strikingly familiar... 

**Chapter 8:** WSJ: (V/O) Mwahaha... Mokuba and Rebecca are having "fun" at the Kaiba manor... 

Mokuba & Rebecca: AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Ghost: AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! 

WSJ: (V/O) While Ryou has spirits of his own to deal with in Egypt. 

Mahaado: *narrows his eyes at Ryou and raises his staff* Tomb robber. 

Ryou: *eyes widen as he backs away, only to run into Mana* What? No, I - 

WSJ: (V/O) And meanwhile Joey's contemplating his own "ghosts". 

Joey: *frowns* Bah, this "revenge" stuff may be harder then I thought... 

WSJ: (V/O) *chuckles good-naturedly* On a lighter note, several conventions are on. California's Pegasus Con... 

Gwen: *drags Hiro on stage with her* Come on! 

Hiro: *embarrassed* I can't believe you got me to wear this... 

WSJ: (V/O) Tokyo's Otogi Con... 

Duke: *signing autographs from adoring little DDM brats, er, fans* 

WSJ: (V/O) And Domino's... Wait, never mind. It's not a convention in Domino, just a party. 

Mako: *slurring his words drunkinly* Hoocha! 

Weevil: *giggling to himself* 

Rex: Ya' know we weawwy shouldn't... shouldn't... *gives up and grabs another beer* 

WSJ: (V/O) *sweatdrop* Oh dear. 

God bless minna-san! 


	8. Spirits

Everyone go read _Tainted Soul_, by **Ebony Kuroneko**!! My telepath-Ryou and mortal-Bakura have main roles, as well as Jonathon and Fate. ^^ And it was because of her that I managed to get this chapter out. Otherwise I'd have been lucky to finish before Christmas. So everyone go give candy and presents and reviews to Ebony-chan! *glomp* 

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, Sailor Moon, or anything else mentioned. A few of the OCs are mine, and a few more are Brood's. MorTae-san owns herself. 

Oh yeah! On a side-note, everyone go read my new fic _Hot Sands, Warm Arms_. ^^ It's an AU romance, in which eight very familiar archaeologists, one Egyptian reis (foreman), and a certain blond-haired chibi get mixed up in the adventure of their lives... 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home

Chapter 8 -- Spirits

_

Quote of the chapter:

_

"This is more fun than playing hit-and-run at the Pharaoh's bedroom chamber."   
~(Bakura; Serena Arythusa, Yami Bakura Divided By Confusion Equals Algebra) 

"Yami, kindly remove your elbow from my face." 

"Shut up you insolent tomb raider, I have a headache..." 

"Oh, and whose fault is that?" 

"Aibou! Not you too?" 

"Yugi is right you know, it's your own fault Yami." 

"*sigh* Who made this *^$% van so small?!" 

"Zorry, but zee limo vould 'ave been too conspicuous." 

"Hey, what's that long line up ahead?" 

"Zat vould be zee ski jump. Ve are almost to zee rezort." 

"And what's all that white stuff?" 

"That's snow Bakura." 

"Snow? What is this snow of which you speak?" 

"You don't know either Yami? Man, that's kind of pathetic. Snow is white, powdery ice crystals that -" 

"Wait wait, you mean that freezing cold stuff we have back in Japan?" 

"*sigh* Yes Yami, that's snow." 

"What?! That hell-made white substance?! Aaarg! Curses on snow clouds!" 

"*sweatdrop* Oh oui, 'ee iz Egyptian through and through..." 

"You ever doubted it?" 

Tea and Yugi exchanged glances with Amoura and sighed heavily. This week was going to be hectic, to say the least... 

~*~

Mokuba and Rebecca huddled together on the couch, listening to something banging around upstairs in between the howls of the wind and the crash of the thunder. 

//Mokuba,// Seto asked urgently, mentally taking his brother by the shoulders and shaking him. //Do you want me to go find out what it is?// 

/Please do,/ Mokuba whimpered. /Seto, I'm scared./ 

//It's just your mind playing tricks on you.// Seto said, before stepping quietly out of his brother's body. It was dark, and Rebecca had her head hidden in Mokuba's shoulder, so she didn't see the nearly invicible, spectral figure go. Keeping himself transparent and silent Seto stalked toward the stairs and peered up them, listening hard. Yes, there was definatly something up there. 

Silently he ascended the stairs and walked around the corner. After all, it wasn't like whatever was up here could hurt him. Yes, there was a figure, a very solid _mortal_ figure creeping down the hall. Slightly amused, Seto leaned up against the wall and chuckled. 

At the sound, the figure froze. Almost as if it had been timed, the lights flickered back on, and then off again, allowing the would be "ghost" to catch a glimpse of a very _real_ ghost, dressed in an unmistakable trench coat. At seeing Seto in front of her she backpeddled and screamed at the top of her lungs. Still snickering Seto let himself disappear back into his soulroom. 

Rebecca shuddered as she heard someone upstairs scream. "Wh-what...?" 

Something barreled down the stairs, still screaming, and all but dived on the couch with Mokuba and Rebecca. This sent off a chain reaction, and within a second Mokuba had two screaming teenage girls in his arms. Having been briefed the instant before by Seto, who was currently laughing hystericly in his soulroom, Mokuba just sighed. 

All at once Rebecca realized it was not a ghost that had jumped on her and Mokuba, but a friend (such as she was). Breaking off mid-scream Rebecca sat up and planted her hands on her hips. "Lisa O'Kelley!" 

The Irish girl sniffled, still clinging to the front of Mokuba's shirt. Then she realized what she was doing and let go as if Mokuba had been coated in slime. "What do you want? I tell you, I saw a ghost upstairs! He was just leaning against the wall and... and _laughing_ at me!" Tears started to gather in her eyes as she grabbed Rebecca's hands. ""Becca this house is _haunted_! I saw _Kebby-kun_ upstairs, I _know_ I did!" 

Rebecca's eyes were round and she turned to Mokuba. "M-mokuba? Have _you_ ever seen anything strange? After all, you _live_ here." 

Mokuba groaned slightly, but couldn't lie. "I have seen Seto around..." 

"But of course Seto wouldn't hurt _him_!" Lisa jumped in, still shivering a little. "Mokuba's his brother! But what about us..." 

Mokuba sighed as he felt his right eye twitch. "Lisa, what are you doing in my house?" 

Lisa blinked up at him owlishly. "I - I wanted to scare you... But I swear I saw a ghost upstairs!" 

Something crashed all of a sudden, and it wasn't the storm. All three of them jumped and clung to each other. /Seto?!/ 

//Wasn't me kid.// Seto answered, already in false form and sprinting for the stairs. //I'll go see what it was.// Already rounding the landing, Seto saw nothing amiss on the second floor, where Lisa had snuck in through a window, so he rounded the steps and sprinted toward the third, which had used to be where Gozenboru's quarters were, but now it was just an attic. Something may have fallen when lightning struck the house or something. Throwing open the door to the attic/bedroom, Seto screeched to a hault as he came face to face with a figure from his worst nightmares, smirking at him from under heavy brows. On the landing of the third floor staircase the "ghost" of Seto Kaiba faced off against the ghost of Gozenboru Kaiba, with three teenagers cowering below. Seto sighed and balled up his fists, wondering why these kinds of things always happened to him. 

//Oh shi-// 

~*~

"You're on the wrong side of the road, we're gonna crash!" 

"Hell no!" Gwen piped happily as she jerked the wheel around another turn that almost raised her car up on two wheels. "You're forgetting this is America! It's _you_ buzzards that are trying to get me on the wrong side! Now shut up and lemme drive!" 

Next to her in the passenger seat of her bright green Thunderbird, Hiro clutched at the seat, sweat streaming from his face and neck. "Gwen you're going to get us killed!" Gwen just laughed at him. Behind, Ishtar and Malik were clinging to each other, and Ishtar was murmering a fast-paced Egyptian prayer to attempt to calm himself. Like anyone could ever be calm with Gwendolyn Kennady driving. 

"Almost there!" Gwen chirped, cutting off an old woman on the freeway. Hearing the English curses coming from behind her, Gwen stuck her head out the window and began firing off a few of her own. 

"GWEN!!" Hiro reached over to grab the stearing wheel, jerking them back into the proper lane as Gwen pulled her head back in. 

"Hey, shove off!" she said indignantly. "I'm driving, not you." She spun the wheel at least two-hundred degrees, slamming on her brakes as she did. They slid to a stop just on the outskirts of a mob of screaming Duel Monsters fans gathered in front of the mall that had been "taken over" for Pegasus Con. Gwen bounced out of the car and began waving, signing a few autograph books thrust her way as she waited for the boys to get out of the car. 

"I think... I need... a barf bag..." Malik groaned, slumping back against the seat and clamping a hand over his mouth. 

"Oi..." Hiro moaned. "I think she just subtracted about ten years from my life..." 

"Do these hairs look gray to you?" Ishtar asked, examining a clump of his spikey blond hair. All three men exchanged glances and sighed, before pulling themselves out of that hell hole of a car. 

"Well it's about time!" Gwen shouted at them as she jotted her sig on another piece of paper and handed it to a girl that looked like she was about to faint. Reaching over, Gwen grabbed a bullhorn from a nearby security guard and started shouting into it. She spoke in English, of course, so none of the three men knew what she was saying, but all of a sudden they were the center of a frothing, screaming mass of teens, mostly females. What Gwen had said was "~Hear ye hear ye! Hey people!! You see the blond guys standing behind me? That's Malik and Yami Ishtar! You know, finalists at Battle City and close friends of Yuugi Moto?!~" 

And thus the fangirl mobs began. 

~*~

Amoura pulled the van to a stop in front of a large, two story stone manor flanked on all sides by pine trees and six-inch-deep snow (of course). Off to the left, through a gap in the trees, a ski lift could bee seen rising upward to the top of the mountain. People laughed and talked as they milled around, some going out carrying skis and snowboards, and some heading back in after calling it a day on the slopes. 

Tea pushed open the side door of the van dispite the protests that Yami and Bakura were giving, and she and Yugi began to unload their bags. Amoura also had a pair of skis, since she and her family came up to this lodge once or twice a year she owned her own. Everyone else would be renting theirs. 

While the others continued to unload their luggage, Amoura and Bakura went inside the lodge to register. The man behind the counter looked to be in his fifties or sixties, wearing a smart black suit that contrasted against his graying hair. As soon as he saw Amoura come in, shaking snow out of her long green hair, he seemed to brighten up a little. "Ah! Mademoiselle Letazaut! Va-t-elle comment votre famille?" 

Amoura grinned as she went over to lean on the counter to talk to the old family friend. "Faisant très bien, merci. Il est bon de vous revoir." 

"Et vous aussi. Ils ne sont pas ici?" the manager asked, glancing around in vain for his dear friend Amanda Letazaut. 

Amoura giggled and shook her head apologeticly. "Non, je suis ici avec des amis." 

Bakura sighed, happy to be in the warmth of the heated lodge. Spying a fireplace over to one side with a nice steady blaze going in it, he went over and turned so it warmed his backside. He was only half-listening to the conversation between Amoura and the manager. Amoura's lessons had been paying off, and he caught about half of what she and the manager had been saying. He perked up quite a bit, however, when he heard his own name. 

The manager gestured to Bakura, who was standing by the fireplace looking like he'd died (again) and gone to heaven. "Et celui-ci est-il ici votre amoureux?" 

Amoura choked and her face turned bright red. She shook her head, sending her green curls spilling around her shoulders. "Non! Non! Bakura est juste... juste un ami!" 

The manager smiled mysteriously, as if he knew something Amoura didn't. "Nous verrons." From there he tackfully moved on into other matters, giving Amoura the key to her family's cabin and leaving Bakura sputtering indignantly by the fireplace. [1] 

Amoura was still blushing a little as she and Bakura stepped back outside, and for once Bakura didn't even notice the cold. "What were you two talking about? I heard my name!" 

"Ahh... He wanted to know if you were my boyfriend..." Amoura answered truthfully, stopping Bakura in his tracks. After a moment the stunned white haired ex-thief jogged to catch up with her. "And what did you tell him?" 

"I said you were just my friend, of course," Amoura said, blushing all the harder. And since she was looking down at her boots, she didn't catch the hurt expression that flickered across his face. 

~*~

Ryou took a deep breath as he entered the tomb, savoring the familiar, musty smells. Fleetingly he wished Bakura was there with him, but then he pushed the thought from his mind. Bakura was probably having fun tormenting Yami. Brushing his fingers against the cool metal of the Ring for reassurance, Ryou stepped deeper into the tomb. 

Without warning the doors behind him slammed shut with a forboding crash. Ryou jumped and stiffened, straining his senses. He knew someone was in here with him, but he couldn't sense them at all. Either something was blocking his powers or the spirits had the same sort of mental sheilding that Takeo had. 

He heard something move behind him and he whirled around, cursing the fact that he couldn't see. A sudden build-up of magical energies that he _could_ sense warned him to dodge before it was too late. Throwing himself to the side, Ryou landed hard on the stone floor and rolled over so that his head was covered by his arms. Not a moment too soon either, as he felt the heat of some attack, possibly a fireball, across his back before it splashed against the wall behind where he would have been standing. 

He kept rolling and rolled right back to his feet, standing in a defensive stance for all the good it would do him against unsensed enemies. Over to his left there was a low chuckle. "So tomb raider, it seems you've learned how to dodge in five thousand years." 

Ryou jerked slightly, surprised. The pure spite in that man's voice...! He knew Bakura had made some enemies, but this was rediculous! "I'm not -" 

"Quiet!" It was a female voice that spoke this time, from right next to Ryou. He squeaked in surprise as she grabbed his upper arm and placed what he assumed was her staff across his neck. "One wrong move and I send 50,000 volts of magical electricity through you, you blasphamus pig." 

_'My, doesn't this seem familiar...'_ Ryou thought ironicly. _'Only this time I'm getting attacked by a real live Dark Magician Girl, and not a Dark Magician wannabe.'_

Almost as if they had heard his thoughts, Mahaado and Mana, for that's who they were, put aside their magical sheilds, allowing Ryou to get his first good "look" at them. Mahaado seemed to be the more powerful of the two with his pulsing purple aura, but if it came to a fight Ryou _thought_ he could take him down. Mana would be an easy defeat, her pink aura barely stronger then Sailor Moon's. Not that Ryou planned to fight with them. 

Now that he could finally sense where the two mages were, Ryou relaxed a little. Mana was standing behind him, holding him in a loose arm lock with her staff, as noted, across his neck. Mahaado was about four feet in front of him with his arms crossed. Ryou shuddered a little at the hate and spite radiating from both of them. What had Bakura _done_ to them, anyway? 

Apparently one of the two called up a light from somewhere, because it became obvious that the two mages could see to move around. Mahaado sneered as he stepped forward, uncrossing his arms. He reached out a hand and touched the Ring around Ryou's neck, then he began to growl low in his throat, like an animal. "My Ring! You've _destoryed_ it! What happened to all the power?!" All in one motion he grabbed the Ring and yanked it from around Ryou's neck, causing the chain to cut painfully into Ryou's neck before it finally snapped. 

Ryou hissed in pain as the Ring clattered to the floor and healed the cut on his neck without even thinking about it. Mana, however, gasped as she saw the deep cut close over. "M-mahaado?" she asked, her voice trembling just a little. 

The Dark Magician had seen it too. For a moment he struggled, not wanting his student to see his shock. Rearing back on his heels for a moment, he back-handed Ryou across the cheek. "When did _you_ learn magic tomb robber?" 

Ryou gagged for a moment and then spit out a blob of bloodied phlem. He coughed a little and then spoke. "I'm not who you think I am." 

Mana's eyes narrowed. "You expect us to believe that? What should I do Mahaado?" 

Mahaado stared at Ryou for another moment, looking into his sightless eyes and getting the queer feeling that somehow this white-haired demon was looking back. Shuddering a little he turned away. "Kill him." 

Those were the words both Mana and Ryou had been waiting for. Charging himself with his powers, Ryou had teleported out of Mana's grasp before she even had her spell half cast. Reappearing briefly behind her, he delivered a kick to her side, just enough to knock her down and not enough to really hurt her. 

Hearing Mana cry out, Mahaado whirled around, only to come face to face with Ryou, who was glowing slightly. Mahaado sneered and grimmly readied his staff. "So it's a fight you want Bekhura?" 

"No," Ryou said quietly, his aura smoldering around him. "It's not a fight I want. I am not my yami. If you'd taken the chance to read my aura you would see that. I don't know what it was Bakura did to you, but fighting me is no way to resolve it, mage. If you take me on I'll win, I can promise you that. I'll defend Bakura's honor to the last." 

Mahaado scowled, then grudgingly nodded. "No, you're not the thief king. I do not know why you look and sound so much like him, but if you say you will defend him, then I have no choice but to fight you. _My_ honor, and that of my lover and children are at stake." His eyes narrowed and he charged at Ryou before the telepath could do anything. "Children that _your_ 'Bakura' _**murdered**!!!!_" 

~*~

The boys managed to fight their way out of the squealing mob, no thanks to Gwen who just sat on the sidelines and laughed until tears swam down her cheeks. 

"I. Hate. You." Ishtar said flattly, adjusting the cape that Gwen had made him wear for cosplay. She just stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed Hiro by the hand. "Come on, lighten up! We've got a whole convention to explore before our cosplay is scheduled to begin!" Giggling she led them toward the mall, twirling her purple Witty Phantom fedora around in one hand. 

Hiro sourly tapped the staff Gwen had given him against the ground, but followed after his hyper girlfriend. The Ishtars sighed, then trudged slowly after. 

Surprisingly, they had a good time. With Gwen translating for them, Malik and Ishtar entered and won a few duels, and Hiro entered and got his butt kicked in a few duels. They went shopping and bought a few new cards each, including a new special edition female Witty Phantom that Gwen paid way too much for but just _had_ to have. They ate, signed a few autographs from young Americans that recognised Malik or Ishtar or both from when Battle City had been televised. 

But all too soon it was time for the cosplay. 

"Gwen, do not make me do this, because if you do I will ram the Millenium Rod so far down your throat it will come out the other end!" Ishtar hissed as Gwen dragged her three unwilling cohorts backstage. 

Gwen just laughed. "I doubt it." she said brightly. "Now come on, I wanna go on stage!" 

Since three known celebrities were in this particular sketch, a rather large crowd had gathered where they could see. After conjoling, pleading, and the threat of blackmail Malik and Ishtar stepped up on opposite sides of the stage amidst applause and wild cheers, and not a few bursts of laughter. 

Malik was dressed in tight black jeans and a blue trench coat, and his hair was slicked down as far as it would go. He wore a Duel Disk on one arm, but it wasn't turned on. Obviously he was dressed as the former CEO of Kaiba Corp and dearly departed Duel Monsters world champion, Seto Kaiba himself. (And it might be noted that it was a good thing Kaiba wasn't watching, because he would have died (again) of humiliation.) 

On the other side of the stage stood Ishtar, his spiked hair dyed a distinctive and easily recognizable black and purple. He was dressed in black leather and a blue cape, with a mock Millenium Puzzle around his neck. He too was wearing a Duel Disk, and his annoyed frown was quite Yami-Yugi-like. 

The crowds eventually quieted down enough for the sketch to start, and Malik and Ishtar acted as if they were Yami and Seto, dueling each other once again. "~I call Witty Phantom!~" Malik yelled the English phrase that Gwen had hurridly taught him that morning while trying to get him into his costume. 

Grinning widely Gwen bounced up on stage in her costume amidst wild cheers from the male half of the crowd and several flashbulbs going off. Gwen paused to pose for a minute, then assumed battle stance against Ishtar. 

"~Ha!~" Ishtar said, trying to play Yami while remembering the scattered English he knew. "~That all you got? Dark Magician!~" 

Now the female part of the crowd was cheering as a sullen Hiro stepped onto Ishtar's half of the stage, decked out in a very realistic looking Dark Magician outfit, staff and all. Mahaado probably would have had a hernia if he saw it, but then again Mahaado wasn't here. Twirling his staff around in a rather clumsy way, Hiro yelled "~Dark Magic Attack!~" 

Gwen made gagging noices and keeled over, trying not to giggle as she did. 

"~No!~" Malik yelled in disbelief as Ishtar smirked at him. "~Not possible I loose again!~" 

"~No one beat Game King.~" Ishtar said smugly, turning to smile cutely at the audience. There were more female screams and more flashbulbs, and a moment later someone who looked like a reporter was standing next to him and jabbering in English. Ishtar blinked, as did Hiro and Malik. "Uhhh..." 

Gwen climbed back to her feet and began talking quickly. For a moment she and the convention official conversed, and then they shook hands. Gwen turned back to the boys with a wide smile on her face as they stepped off stage. "That was one of the convention organizers. Since we're big celebrities and all, he wanted to know if we'll give a tag-team promotional duel this afternoon on the main stage, two-against-two. He has Duel Disks for us, and I assume you all brought your decks?" 

Ishtar and Malik brightened up somewhat and nodded, but Hiro looked worried. "Gwen, you know I'm a sucky duelist. Whoever gets paired with me is sure to lose!" 

Gwen's grin widened. "I already thought of that Hiro-kun. You don't have to duel if you don't want to. I have someone in mind that I think will be happy to duel with us. She's an old friend, and I'm sure she's here. You guys do your own thing and I'll go find her. Meet me at the grand stand at 1 o'clock, the duel is scheduled to start at 1:30." 

And with that she ran off, a secretive smile on her face, while the boys just looked after her with weirded-out expressions on their faces. 

~*~

Mai frowned as she watched Joey from afar. What was that dofus doing now? He was dressed quite unlike he usually did, in shredded jeans and leather. What was he trying to pull? Following him at a distance, Mai was shocked to discover he was headed into the seedy part of Kyoto. 

What in the world? 

Creeping closer, she listened to him talk to a group of teenagers leaning up against the wall of a broken down old warehouse. "...any idea where I can find him?" 

"Sure," one of the kids said, pulling out a lighter to light a cigerette. "The Black Tigers always hang by the old skate park down on 60th street. Dunno why you'd need to talk to them, but that's where they'll be." 

"Thanks." Joey nodded and then headed off down the street, but Mai didn't notice. That idiot! The leader of the Black Tigers was the one that had killed Kale! Oh stupid stupid lovable-but-stupid Joey was trying to get revenge for her! 

If she hadn't been crying so hard Mai would have laughed. 

~*~

"Must I?" Yami whined as Tea dragged him out the door. Both were dressed in the warmest clothes they had brought, plus heavy ski jackets Amoura had graciously bought for them, since none of them had packed to go skiing, for the obvious reason that it was the middle of July. Tea was wearing a stylish light blue jacket, and Yami was in all black. 

Tea laughed and again tugged on his arm. "Yes, you must. Come on, you can't go to a ski resort and not ski! Besides, Amoura signed us all up for lessons with professional instructors." Yami continued to grumble, but allowed himself to be led. 

The Letazaut cabin was up a small hill from the main lodge, surrounded by a ring of all, old pine trees. Upon first seeing it, Yami had snidely remarked that maybe Madame planted a few of them in her youth. The cabin was built of sturdy logs, and inside had three large rooms. Two of them were bedrooms, and the thrid, the largest, was a common room that functioned as kitchen, diningroom, and livingroom. Tea and Amoura bunked down in one bedroom, Yugi and Yami in the other, and Bakura volenteered to take the couch, which folded down into a bed. A large fireplace occupied almost all of one wall, and a large wood pile was built up out back. 

Yami and Tea were the last ones to leave the cabin, and they made their way down the hill and across a small field to where the others were waiting by the ski lift. Bakura, decked out in red and black, didn't look nearly so pessimistic as he had earlier, and had two pairs of skiis, one over each shoulder. As Tea approached he held out one pair for her to take. Amoura, dressed in purple and light blue, was holding her own skiis, decorated with small stars and styalized flowers. And lo and behold, in his gold and gray clad arms Yugi held not skiis, but two _snowboards_. 

Yami halted in shock when Yugi made to hand one to him. "You expect me to ride that thing?!" 

"It is eazier zen skiis." Amoura said, shrugging. "And ve zought you might like zee board." 

Yami noticed for the first time that the snowboard he was holding was pattered with the Eye of Horus, and that Yugi's had little golden triangles that greatly resembled a certain inverted pyramid. "Where'd _this_ come from?!" 

Amoura shrugged and sweatdropped slightly. "Zey vere in zee rental shop..." 

"Hey," Bakura frowned and looked around, absently tightening his scarf against the cold. "Where are those instructors you said would be meeting us Amoura?" 

The French girl shrugged. "I don't know. Zey zaid - " 

She was interrupted by voices coming over the hill from the direction of the lodge. "Kitty-chan, it's _cold_! What possessed you to get us jobs up here?" 

"Suck it up 'Kura." another voice muttered. "And look perky. We're _supposed_ to be professional ski instructors." 

"It's too cold to be perky..." the first voice answered sulkily. 

The five by the ski lift blinked. Not only were the voices speaking Japanese, but they didn't even have Switz or French accents. If anything, they sounded quite American. 

Two women crested the hill, one of them with a pair of skiis and the other with a snowboard under her arm. They both looked to be about nineteen or twenty, but that was where their similarities ended. 

Ski-girl had long blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail and tied with a black ribbon, and mischeivious grey eyes. She was dressed in black ski pants, silver boots and a metallic silver coat, with a black scarf and black knit cap. Her gloves were black with grey streaks running through them. Her skiis were polished to a high shine, and were either made of alluminum or had been painted silver. She looked slightly annoyed, and kept sending glares in her partner's direction. 

Said partner, snowboard-gal, had blood red hair in a long braid down the back of her dark green coat, and white pants that led down to black boots. A pair of dark green ear muffs and green gloves completed the outfit, and her violet eyes sparkled as she snickered at her partner. A small patch was sewn onto her coat, but no one could really tell what it was. It just looked like a sort of blue blob. A small Sonic the Hedgehog doll was hanging from her belt however, and that gave a clue as to the origin of the patch. 

"I'm Kitty," the red-head said, holding out her hand to Amoura. "I'll be the snowboard instructor." She glanced under her lashes at Yugi and Yami, and for some reason that glance, coupled with the little smile on her face (which reminded him rather of Bakura) made Yami feel just a bit uneasy. It was the sort of look that said "I can make your life hell and you bet I will!" 

Yugi had no such misgivings, and smiled pleasently. "Nice to meet you." 

Kitty nodded and smiled back, then nudged her blond partner in the side. Grudgingly she held out her hand to Amoura as well. "My name's Sakura, I'm the ski instructor, and snow is evil." 

"Amen," Bakura and Yami muttered under their breath, causing those nearest them to sweatdrop. 

"If you hate snow, why are you a ski instructor?" Tea wanted to know. 

Sakura rolled her eyes and poked Kitty in the side with the end of one of her skiis. "Her. Leave it to MorTae-san to drag me up into the mountains so she can drool over Yami and Bakura..." Seeing that her cast of characters was becoming rather mystified, Sakura (or SJ, depending on which dimension she was in at the time) coughed. "Never mind." 

Kitty snorted and poked Sakura back. "Come on," she said, leading the way toward the ski lift before Sakura could start an all out poking war. "We're going to take the ski lift to the top of the mountain, and from there the lessons will begin. There are two rest houses, one at the top of the course and one at the bottom, so if you need to go in and get warm feel free to do so, just make sure you let 'Kura or I know first." 

"Now then," Sakura said, waving to the man who was running the lift as they all hopped up onto the platform. "I assume Amoura-chan knows how to ride a ski lift?" 

Amoura nodded, but looked puzzled. "How do you two know all ov our namez?" she asked reasonably. 

Sakura and Kitty exchanged glances and sweatdropped. "Eh... Never mind," Kitty said, as Sakura muttered something about obsession and bishonen. "We've got an odd number of people, so Sakura's going to ride up alone to demonstrate how to get on and off the lift ahead of us." 

"Oh no I won't..." Sakura mumbled under her breath. Kitty sweatdropped again as she saw her friend eyeing the handsome man that was just about to board the lift alone. Bouncing over, Sakura turned on the charm. "Hiya! Need some company?" 

"Like, totally!" he said, looking her up and down. "Black is _so_ in. I love that ribbon in your hair." 

Yugi twitched a little from behind Yami. "Why am I sensing deja vu?" he murmered to himself. 

Sakura and her new friend lined up with the ski lift, and as the seat came up from behind them they hopped on, chattering the whole time. "No _way_!" Kitty heard Sakura squeal just before she was out of hearing. "I _love_ Phantom of the Opera!" 

"Oi, fangirls..." Kitty sighed, shaking her head. "Okay, who thinks they've got it?" 

"It looks simple enough." Bakura scoffed, his tomb robber arrogance showing through. 

Amoura giggled and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him toward where another chair was coming around to be loaded. "Come on zen." 

"Woah, wait, hold on a minute Amoura! Ack!" 

Yugi laughed and took Tea's hand. "He's right, it does look easy. Shall we?" 

Kitty shrugged and smiled that same uncomfortable smile at Yami. "Shall we?" 

Yami shuddered slightly. _'Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into now...?'_

~*~

Mako suddenly sat bolt upright in his place behind the Game Shop counter. It was storming out, and so he was pretty much stranded in the shop. But he did know a few "friends" just foolhardy enough to venture out into that rainy mess. 

Grinning slightly the fisherman grabbed the phone. They may not be the best company, but he could bet they knew how to party! 

~*~

Mahaado's last statement acted almost as a shock to Ryou's system. He froze, his mouth open and his blind eyes wide, until Mahaado slammed full-force into his chest. They both went down, and instantly there was this tangle of white hair and purple robe and purple and silver flashes of light. Mana, who had recovered her breath and her staff, could only watch in a sort of morbid facination as the fight went on. 

They were rolling around on the ground like cats and dogs, shreiking and snarling in a sort of half-aware primal rage. Somewhere along Mahaado had lost both his staff and his hat, and his short hair stuck up from his head in a shock of wild violet spikes. Ryou's hair had come out of his ponytail and wound around him like snakes, striking at Mahaado's face and hands like whitewashed whips. Anything could be a weapon. 

Both were thouroughly immerced in white-hot rage, they'd ceased even to think beyond the imagined indignaties the other had done. Ryou was thinking only of what an insult this mage had paid Bakura. Sure, Bakura had murdered, but he would have _never_ been heartless enough to hurt a child. 

Mahaado could only remember how he'd awoken late one night to a soft glow by the window, and rolling over to see that... that _monster_ of a thief with _his_ Ring, and of the fight afterward. The misfired spell and Mana's scream... Shivering to rid himself of the memories, Mahaado managed to get a hand in Ryou's hair and yank. 

With a short scream of rage Ryou twisted around, his blind eyes afire with white light. Sencing something of flesh close, he did the only thing he could and bit down _hard_. Mage-blood spilled into his mouth, and the telepath cried out as the concentrated magic scalded his tongue. He swallowed on impulse, and then gagged as the hot blood burned all the way down. He made an awful face and tried to pull away as Mahaado screamed, half from rage and half from pain, reaching a hand to clamp over the deep wound in his neck, a look of faint horror on his face. 

In a burst of purple and grey-gold they flew apart, slamming into opposite walls and staggering to stay on their feet. Each was panting, and neither was unmarked. Scratches covered Ryou's face and arms, and a deep bruise could be seen peeking out from under his shirt where Mahaado's booted foot had caught him. 

"Stop it!" Mana yelled from her place on the sides where she clutched both her staff and Mahaado's. "Just stop!" Tears were running down her cheeks as she whirled to face Ryou. "Haven't you done enough?!" 

To the surprise of both mages, Ryou was swaying on his feet, a dazed look in his eyes. "You bleed..." he murmered, almost to himself. "Mage-blood is strong... Too strong... It's burning me..." As the two startled magicians looked on, a single tear slid down his cheek, dark, deep red like a tear of blood, and fell to the stone floor, where it hissed like acid. Almost as if that were a cue, Ryou collapsed onto the stone floor amidst the startled, but not quite concerned, cries of Mahaado and Mana. 

~*~

[1] - Amoura's conversation went something like this: 

_Manager_: Ah! Miss Letazaut! How is your family?   
_Amoura_: Doing very well, thank you. It is good to see you again.   
_Manager_: And you too. They are not here?   
_Amoura_: No, I am here with friends.   
_Manager_: And is this one here your sweetheart?   
_Amoura_: No! No! Bakura is just... just a friend!   
_Manager_: We'll see. 

The grammar may be a little off because I got it from an online translator. I _am_ learning to speak French, but I'm not nearly this good yet. The only one I probably could have come up with on my own is Amoura's frantic denial of "Il est juste un ami!" ^~ Ha, je pareirai. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *blinku blinku* Why do my chapters always seem to end with Ryou collapsing for one reason or another? 0o; 

^^ And the winner of the Ishtar middle name contest is **Sesca3**! I'm not going to say which of her suggestions won yet, but she definately takes the prize. Ses, e-mail me in the next few days so I can get some info on you, okay? ^^ 

**Chapter 9**: WSJ: (V/O) Snow is bad for you... 

Sakura: *blinku* Well that's new... 

Kitty: *snicker* I believe all things are possible... except skiing through a revolving door. 

WSJ: (V/O) And so are wild parties. 

Mako: *hic* 

WSJ: (V/O) And evil ghosts. 

Gozenboru: *knocks Seto backward down the stairs as Mokubs screams* 

WSJ: *sweatdrop* (V/O) American convention goers just might get the best duel they've ever seen, 

Gwen: Harpie Lady's Brother! 

Malik: Vorse Raider! 

Ishtar: *smirking* The Winged Dragon of Ra. 

WSJ: (V/O) But Serenity gets a scare. 

Serenity: *reading an e-mail* *gasp* Ryou's dying?! 

WSJ: ^^ (V/O) All this and more, next time! 

God bless minna-san! 


	9. Blood for Blood The Revelation of Ryou's...

WSJ: *^^* Because of how long this one section is going to take to tell, and because I'm completely unwilling to break it up into sections, we have an entirely Egypt-centered chapter! Don't worry though, next chapter we'll get back to everyone else. In fact, somewhere around chapter 12 or 13 there'll probably be a chapter completely dedicated to the group in France, so this is nothing new. 

Ryou: ¬¬ Why do you _always_ do stuff like this to me? 

WSJ: ^^; Um... because? 

Ryou: *mutters darkly* 

Serenity: *turns blue across the nose as she reads ahead in the chapter* Urk... 

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. ^^ Fate is mine, and Priestess is mine, and Mana and Mahaado's personalities are mine, but I don't really want that last one... Is anyone else getting really annoyed by my version of Mahaado? :p 

Warnings: Mahaado being a jerk, some cursing, extreme angst, slight blood & gore, slight romantic fluff, and severe secrets reveiled. ^~ Do not read if you have a weak heart or tend to cry easy. ^o^ Seriously. I was sniffling through most of this chapter and I'm the _writer_, for crying out loud! 

R Amethyst: Power of the Pen? You're going this year?! Sweet! No, I don't have your e-mail, but be sure you get back to me on this! Since I'm in 9th grade I can't compete this year, but I am going to try and be a runner or a judge or something, and I'm defiantely going to be hanging out with my school's team at all the events. We may have to coordinate a meeting. ^~ 

Oh, and Windswift-chan? ^~ I expect a really long review from you for this, because there is a _lot_ to comment on. :p 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 9 -- Blood for Blood - The Revelation of Ryou's Mother! 

_

Quote of the fic:

_

"As for me, I will remember the Lord of the   
Two Lands the way he was when this day began, laughing while he raced his   
team across the desert, not as a statue made of stone. For the gods granted   
me the privilege of seeing the joy in his eyes as well as the fear he felt in going   
against his elders. I knew him to be capable not only of the arrogance of youth   
but generosity and love. That is why, in my heart, I weep for the boy who was   
allowed so little time to learn how to live before his time came to die."   
~(Tenre mourning Pharoah Tutankhamen's death; Carol Thurston; Eye of Horus) 

Mahaado's steady stream of curses continued as Mana attempted to bandage the deep wound on his neck, where Ryou had bit down on a major artery. It wasn't like Mahaado could die, of course, but he was beginning to get his robes rather messy. "Mahaado..." Mana said hesitantly, then gained courage and pinched her lover on the sensitive skin around his wound, causing him to yelp. "Mahaado be quiet! And open the door already, would you?" 

"Why should I?" the purple-clad Egyptian sneered, aiming a kick at the prone telepath on the floor. "He deserves to die alone in here. A tomb for the damned, how fitting." 

"Mahaado! His _father_ is out there, worried sick! I can tell! I may not be a good mage, but I'm really good at the spells that let you sence another's feelings, you know that! It doesn't matter what Bekhura did to us in the past. This isn't Bekhura Mahaado, it may look like him but it _isn't_." Mana had her lover by the shoulders now, and she gave him a hard shake. "He's already going to die. Would you have his father find him dead, or have a few more hours with him at least? Now _open the door_." 

Mahaado winced at the word 'father', but did as his apprentice asked and released the magical seals that had been holding the tomb door shut, dispite all the archaeologists efforts on the contrary. As soon as they'd been removed, the door creeked open, allowing daylight to spill into the tomb along with the frantic voices of certain Egyptologists. 

Still scowling, Mahaado grabbed Mana's hand and drug her toward the burial chamber, where he knew they wouldn't be desturbed. Mana knew it was useless to resist him, but she couldn't help but turn around to give the telepath on the floor a last look. Her heart went out to him, and her eyes filled with silver tears before she shook them away. Yes, he was the reincarnation of the tomb robber that had made their lives just so much living hell, but he was only a boy. Only barely older then their pharoah had been when he'd... 

Still twisted around to look behind her, Mana saw Shen run head long into the tomb and then stop dead in his tracks. The female magician couldn't help the sob that caught in her throat as she beheld the look of absolute horror on the father's face as he saw the still, cold form of his one and only son. 

~*~

"Will he be all right?" 

Shaadi glanced up at Shen as he stepped out of the tent that had been hurridly confinscated as a medical hospital. Shen had been pacing back and forth outside for the past four hours while Isis and Shaadi tried everything in their power to find out what was ailing Ryou. The guardian shook his head, then shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, my friend. This is like nothing Isis or I have ever seen before. His fever is up to almost 110º now, but his heart and breathing are slow and shallow... If I had to guess I would say he's been poisoned, but Isis and I have administered all the anti-toxins it's safe to give him without professional medical evaluation, and his condition hasn't changed at all." 

"What about snake bite?" Shen asked, wringing his hands in a distracted manner. "Who knows what may be living in that tomb." 

Shaadi sighed and pulled off his turban, letting his long hair fall down his back as he wiped the sweat and dust off his forehead. "Snake bite was the first thing we thought of Shen. Nothing. There isn't a mark on him that could possibly be because of snake bite." 

"Can I at least see him?" 

Shaadi nodded, and so Shen pushed back the tent flap and stepped inside. Ryou was laying in a cot by the west wall, his face and throat a flaming contrast to his white hair as he battled against the fever that raged inside him. In a desperate attempt to cool him, Isis and Shaadi had stripped off his shirt, leaving his chest bare except for the livid purple bruise that covered the right side of his stomach and the old scars that criss-crossed his torso and arms. Isis was sitting next to him, keeping his forehead covered with cool wet rags to try and get his fever under control. Priestess was curled up at Ryou's feet, her big eyes wider then normal as she made sad little cooing sounds. Apparently she had gotten over her troubles with Socrates, because the little cat was curled up beside her, anxiously licking the blanket that covered her master's feet. 

Isis looked up as he came in, and then quickly climbed to her feet. As Shen stepped up to take the chair she'd vacated, Isis pulled him into a sisterly hug. "You have to have faith." she whispered in his ear. "He's gotten through worse before." With her cheek agianst his Shen felt the wetness, but wasn't sure if the tears belonged to him or Isis. Then she let go and moved past him, leaving him more or less alone. 

For a moment Shen just stood in the middle of the tent and looked around forlornly. Then he sat down heavily on ths crate Isis had been using as a chair. Mechanicly his hands took the cloth from Ryou's forehead and dipped it in the bowl by his bed, wringing it out and replacing it in silence. Then he busied himself with smoothing out the sheet that covered Ryou from the waist down, and plumping the pillow under his pale hair, his eyes averted from his son's face. 

Finally at a loss for anything else to do, Shen seized his son's hand as if it were a lifeline and held on for dear life. For what seemed like a long time they sat like that, Ryou laying as still as stone, Shen leaning over him, their hands meeting somewhere halfway between. Down by the foot of the bed Priestess cooed anxiously, and Shen stirred slightly. Letting out a short laugh he began to talk, not to Priestess or Socrates, but to Ryou, just as if his son could hear him. 

"Isis is right..." he mused, flicking a tear out of his eye. "You've gotten through worse before, and there's no reason for this time to be different. A-after all, if you can survive being beaten by a mad Egyptian spirit, tortured in another realm, fighting against the forses of darkness themselves, there's no reason for you not to come through this too. But..." 

Lowering his head to the sheets, Shen couldn't help the tears that slid out of his eyes. Taking off his glasses he wiped them off on his shirt, but didn't bother to put them back on as the tears began to flow. "But I've lost so much already... Ryou please, you have to get well! I thought my heart would break when I came home from that dig, and found only you... Angeline was bad enough, but losing Amane at the same time..." He let out a shuddering sob, Ryou's hand pressed against his cheek, as if by physical contact Shen could hold him in the land of the mortals. 

"But it hurt you too, I'll bet. Ryou, I never had the chance to say I'm sorry. I know back then you must have been hurting too, but I ignored you in favor of my own grief. Oh Ryou forgive me, I'm so sorry... Please, please... Just be all right again... My son, my only son..." Although in name Bakura was also his son, and Shen _did_ consider the former spirit a son, nothing could ever dispute that Shen and Ryou were blood, while Shen and Bakura were not. 

Looking up and through the window, Shen could see the sun setting over the sands in the distance. That brought back a flood of memories, the most prominate being the night after Angeline's funeral, the day before Amane's. He'd been sitting out on the front porch watching the sun set and trying not to cry when Ryou had unexpectedly climbed up on his lap. For those few minutes, neither of them said anything and just sat in harmony. 

That had been one of the few times during Ryou's childhood that Shen had actually been there. Silently Shen cursed himself. He'd been gone so much, he'd missed so much of Ryou growing up... 

Abruptly his eyes refocused as something flaoted across his field of vision. He blinked and watched the white feather float down to rest gently on Ryou's chest. Shen stared at it a moment, then turned to look up in puzzlement at the unblemished, completely whole tent roof. When he turned back, the feather was gone. "What the-" 

"Shen?" 

Shen wiped his eyes and turned, putting his glasses back on as he did. His eyes were still shedding tears, but of course no one blamed him. Standing in the doorway of the tent were Isis and Shaadi, and behind them Shen could see a third figure silhoetted against the rapidly darkening skies. Stepping inside, the two Egyptians motioned for the third figure to join them inside as well. It hesitated slightly, and then stepped in to reveal a woman with long blond hair wearing some sort of ceremonial robe and carrying a long staff in one hand, and the Millenium Ring, which she then handed to Shen, in the other. She looked tired, and although her face was young her eyes were old. The same kind of eyes Bakura and Yami had, Shen realized after a moment. But while Yami and Bakura's eyes were laughing and happy now more often then not, this woman's eyes were old and sad, as if she'd seen far too much and wished she hadn't. "My name is Mana," she said quietly. "I think I can help you." 

Priestess squealed at the top of her little Kuriboh voice and launched herself off the bed and into Mana's arms. The startled magess nearly dropped her, then laughed as she petted her fur. "Ah, it's good to see you again too..." Then her face turned more serious, and she motioned for Isis and Shaadi to have a seat, while she remained standing. 

"Mahaado doesn't know I'm here." she said, keeping her voice low as if fearful that the magician in question would hear her. "I think I can shield my presence well enough that he won't know I've been to help you." 

"Is Mahaado the one that did this to him?" Shen asked, nearly jumping out of his chair. "Tell me, is he?! I'll -" 

Mana nodded sadly, but motioned for Shen to stay in his seat. "Please, just let me speak. Mahaado really isn't a bad person, he just lives in the past. Five thousand years ago he was the most brilliant magician in Pharoah's court, but now..." she sighed sadly as she thought of the old days. "I was his apprentice, as well as his lover. Besides being a mage, he was also one of Pharoah's seven Inner Circle of priests. In fact, he was the Priest of the Ring." She said, smiling a little as she saw their looks of recognition. 

"But what does this have to do with Ryou?" Isis asked. 

"I'm getting there. About three years after Mahaado mastered the Ring's powers, I became pregnant with twin boys, something virtually unheard of in those days. Mahaado and I were as happy as could be, until it all shattered. One night Mahaado and I awoke to find a thief in the middle of the act of stealing the Ring. It was a thief named Bekhura, or Bakura, as you would know him. Mahaado loved me, but he loved the power of his Ring even more. He began firing spell after spell at the thief, until through some clever dodging Bekhura managed to manipulate Mahaado into firing a spell at _me_. 

"Since I was a magess-in-training, the spell had no effect on me, it was only a simple spell of paralysis. But it killed the two babies I was carrying. In the confusion, Bekhura escaped with the Ring. Mahaado vowed he would get revenge on the one who had stolen his power and killed our children, and he's been obsessed with the thought of killing Bekhura ever since." 

Mana paused and shook her head. "Unlike my master, I don't blame Bekhura for what he did. There was no way he could have known I carried children, and hitting me with a spell was probably the only way he saw to escape. 

"After Pharoah sealed away the Shadow Games Mahaado and I performed a ritual of our own. Now our souls are bound to the jewels at the ends of our staffs, much like Pharoah and Bekhura are in the Millenium Items. For the past five thousand years Mahaado has been stewing in his own rage, and when Ryou walked into the tomb he snapped, and attacked him." 

"I get the idea that Mahaado isn't exactly the sanest of men." Shen said softly. "But what does that have to do with Ryou getting sick all of a sudden?" 

Mana sighed softly. "No, the Mahaado that resides in that tomb now is merely a shell of the man I once loved. While he and Ryou were fighting, Ryou bit him, and swallowed some of Mahaado's blood." 

"You bleed?" Isis asked, speaking up for the first time. 

Mana looked startled. "Pardon? Yes, we bleed. We take completely physical forms when we're not in our staffs, and yet at the same time we cannot die. Does that make any sense?" The others were nodding, thinking of Yami and Bakura and Ishtar, so she continued. "Why is Ryou swallowing Mahaado's blood so bad you ask? It's a rather long story..." 

"We have time." Shaadi said, then suddenly glanced at Ryou. "Or do we?" 

"Time enough," Mana decided after a moment. "Sunrise is our deadline, since I cannot be out of the tomb during daylight. 

"There are two kinds of magic in the world." she began, leaning back against a tent pole and looking up at the ceiling as if reading her script from there. Priestess had curled up on Shaadi's lap, and Socrates was content to sit by Ryou's feet. "The first is known as 'natural magic'. That kind of magic takes its power from the world around you, and has two sides, light magic and black magic. Mahaado and I both practice natural black magic, and that's the magic you most often hear about in fairy tales. 

"The other kind of magic is 'spiritual magic', sometimes called 'psychic magic'. That type of magic takes its power from inside, usually a person's soul or will. That is the kind of magic Ryou posseses as a telepath. 

"For the most part natural magic and psychic magic have their own distinct, seperate styles, although some powers such as healing, teleportation, levetation, and some forms of fire or lightning spells are present in both natural and psychic magics. But the most important thing about the two types of magic is that _they cannot mix_. To do so would create untold disaster. 

"What's happened to Ryou is a phenominon known among magic circles as mage-poisoning. If a telepath swallows a mage's blood, or the otherway around, it acts as a poison and will eventually kill him." 

Shen and Isis gasped, and Shaadi's eyes widened. As one they turned to look at Ryou. "No matter what?" Shaadi asked. 

"No matter what." Mana said sadly after a moment. "It doesn't matter how strong they are, mage-poisoning always kills them." 

"There's no cure?" Isis asked. 

Mana seemed to think of something and brightened for a moment, but then her face fell again. "There is, but I doubt very much we'll be able to find it in time. Back when magicians were plenty the cure was never a problem if a mage was mage-poisoned, but there were never very many telepaths and there are even fewer today." 

"Mana," Shen stood up and put a hand on Mana's arm, his eyes determined. "Mana, tell us. I'll go to the ends of the earth if that's what it takes to cure Ryou." 

Mana smiled, slightly amused. "I don't doubt you would, but it is always a question of _time_. I may be able to slow the effects of the poison, but only when I'm here, and you can be sure Mahaado would skin me if he knew I was here now. The cure is this: for a mage poisoned with a telepath's blood, he must drink an amount of another mage's blood equal to the amount of telepath blood he swallowed. The same for a poisoned telepath. So you see, there really is no hope. Where are we to find another telepath in time to save Ryou? We have but a week at the most, less then 48 hours at the worst." 

"Takeo," Shaadi said, snapping his fingers. "That kid that helped Ryou out when he was fighting Jalila! He was a telepath, wasn't he?" 

Shen nodded gloomily. "But do you have any idea where he is, how to contact him?" 

Shaadi sighed. "Good point." 

"What about..." Isis paused. "What about Serenity Wheeler? She's a telepath of sorts, and we could have her flown down to Egypt in the matter of a day." 

Shaadi nodded and left to go contact her, while Mana gave Isis a quizzical look. "What do you mean, 'a telepath of sorts'?" 

Isis and Shen exchanged glances and chuckled. "This might take awhile..." Shen said, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses. "My son has a past longer then the Sphinx's tail..." He and Isis started at the beginning, and by the end it was several hours later and Mana was nodding thoughtfully. Shaadi had come back after e-mailing Serenity, and contributed what he could to the long story. 

"Ah..." Mana murmered once they'd finished. "So much makes sence now..." She glanced over at Ryou, and then blinked and started as if she saw something no one else did. "Child of Fate..." she whispered under her breath. 

"What was that?" Shen asked, blinking in confusion. 

Mana shook her head. "Nothing, nothing of importance. It's almost sun rise, I must be getting back to the tomb. I'll be back tonight just after the sun sets. Farewell until then." She rose to leave, taking her staff from it's place leaning in the corner, and left as silently as she'd come. 

Isis and Shaadi and Shen sat and just looked at each other for a few minutes, letting the revelations of the past few hours sink in. All three jumped when Shaadi's cell phone began to ring loudly. Sheepishly he pulled it out of his pocket. "I told Serenity to call me when she had the chance." he explained, and then checked his watch. "It's only about 7 p.m. in Japan." He flipped the cell open and put it to his ear. "Serenity?" 

"SHAADI!!! What do you _mean_ Ryou's dying?!?" 

Shaadi winced and pulled the phone away from his ear, letting Serenity yell at him for a few moments. "Serenity please be coherant." he said after a minute. "Ryou has fallen ill, and _may_ be dying. And we think you may hold the cure." That was a slight stretch of the truth, but in the circumstances Shaadi thought it necessary. What they didn't need right now was Serenity falling apart at the seams. "Can you catch a plane to Egypt?" 

"I can if I borrow some money from Duo," she said, her voice worried. "Joey's taken it into his head to go after some gang leader, but with Mai-san and Scott around he should be all right. I'll take the first flight I can." 

"Good." Shaadi said. "Isis and Shen will be there to meet you at the airport. See you tomorrow." 

"Or today..." Shen muttered, looking at his watch, which read 2 a.m. "And I'm not going to the airport. I'm staying right here." 

"Oh no you're not." Isis said firmly. "You are coming with me. You need to get out of this tent, and a little travel never hurt anyone." 

Shen sighed as Shaadi hung up his phone. "Yes mother..." Suddenly he seemed to think of something, and his eyes grew wide in thought. "Isis, has your Millenium Tauk shown you _anything_? Please, tell me!" 

Isis looked startled that Shen had asked, and reached up to touch the piece of magic jeweralry. "I have seen the future," she admitted softly. "But to tell you what it is may ruin everything and change the future I have seen. All I can say to you is that Serenity is not the one who holds the key to Ryou's health, but it is destined she be here anyway." She closed her eyes, almost as if another vision were coming to her that moment. "_'Not all who died have gone away, not all who live will choose to stay. The past and the future meet as one, and finally a mother will find her true son.'_" 

Opening her eyes she blinked, and then smiled sadly at Shen. "That is all I can say, I'm afraid. But you'll know soon enough. I'll meet you by the jeep at 11. My Tauk says Serenity will be coming in on the noon flight, and it's at least a half-hour's drive to Cairo." Standing up she moved to the door and then through it, leaving Shaadi and Shen behind. 

Shaadi stood up as well, and put a hand on Shen's shoulder. "Go to bed Shen, I'll stay up with Ryou tonight. If what Mana-san said is true, there won't be any change, but it never hurts to watch." 

"You trust her?" Shen asked incredulously. 

"What choice do we have?" Shaadi shot back. "You don't talk much to your son's friends, but Yami-sama speaks very highly of Mahaado and Mana. From what Mana said Mahaado is no longer the same, but I can see the same loyal spirit in Mana that Yami has talked about so many times." 

Shen sighed and rubbed his eyes again. "I know Shaadi, I'm sorry. I guess I am tired." 

"Go get some sleep," Shaadi told him sympatheticly. "Things will look better in the morning." 

Shen shook his head and cast one last glance back at Ryou before he left the tent. "I doubt it." 

Sitting down on the crate nearest Ryou's bed, Shaadi dropped his head into his hands. Priestess creeped on to his lap, cooing gently. Distractedly, Shaadi entangled his fingers in her soft fur to scratch the place she liked best just between her shoulderblades. 

And so the minutes ticked by in silence save the sound of Ryou's quiet breathing and Shaadi's murmered prayers. 

~*~

"I don't feel good about just letting you run off like this Sere'." Duo admitted, scratching the back of his head with one hand and carrying one of Serenity's suitcases with the other. It was about 10 o'clock at night and they were in the middle of Kyoto International Airport, where Serenity was just about to catch her flight for Cairo. "With your brother out chasing villains, Mai-san out chasing your brother, and Scott out chasing Mai-san I feel sort of responsible for you, ya' know?" 

"Don't worry about me," Serenity said, carrying another suitcase with a duffle bag over one shoulder. "If you have to worry, worry about Joey. He's never been the smartest of men, but this is one of the dumbest things he's ever done." She grunted slightly as she lifted her bag up on to the x-ray conveyer. "This ranks right up there with vowing to get revenge on Malik and Ishtar." 

"The things we do for love, eh?" Duo asked, chuckling appreciatively. "I've risked life and limb and braid more then once for my Hilde-chan." 

"And I'm flying out to Cairo to watch Ryou die." Serenity said softly, taking her bag back from the attendant and starting toward her flight gate, Duo at her heels. 

"Don't say that." her cousin said sharply. "Listen Serenity, if there's one thing I've learned in my life it's that nothing is ever absolute. My friends and I have been in situations more then once where we should have gotten our _butts_ handed to us on platters, but we managed to fight our way out. Hey, my best friend's nickname is 'Suicide Boy', for crying out loud! Not to mention 'The Silencer' and 'The Dragon That Won't Die'. So keep your chin up, okay Sere'?" [1] 

Serenity couldn't help but giggle. "You sure have some strange friends Duo." she said. 

"Yup." Duo agreed. "But I wouldn't trade 'em for anything else in the world." He looked down at her, and his smile faded. "What's wrong Serenity?" 

"I just..." Serenity paused to hiccup slightly and brush away her tears. "I just don't know what I'll do if Ryou... if Ryou..." 

Duo set down the suitcase he'd been carrying and pulled his younger cousin into a hug. "Hey, it's okay to cry. He _will_ get better, You just have to have faith in him, and faith in yourself." 

"But it's so hard!" Serenity sobbed quietly into his shirt. "Duo, I _love_ him!" 

"Like I said, the things we do for love." Duo said, rubbing her back gently. "Why else would you be taking a seven hour, red-eye flight from Japan to Egypt, if not for love? Love conquers all Serenity, I've seen it first hand." 

Serenity wiped her eyes and looked gratefully up at her braided cousin. "Thank you Duo. Tell Miaka-chan I'm sorry to run off in the middle of the night, and take care of Joey while I'm gone, okay?" 

Duo surpressed a shudder. "With what he's doing... I think I'll leave that to Mai. ^^;" 

Serenity chuckled and hefted her bags as her boarding call came over the intercom. "Bye Duo!" 

"Bye Serenity!" Duo called after her, waving his arms over his head. "See you soon, I hope! And don't worry about us, we'll be just fine." 

Serenity stifled a giggle as she entered the plane. "Knowing you, I doubt it," she muttered under her breath. She stowed her bags in the overhead compartment, then sat down and settled herself for the flight to Bangkok, where she would change planes before heading to Cairo. She took out a book and tried her best to read, but fell asleep soon after take off. She awoke briefly to change planes in Bangkok, then drifted back to sleep. In her sleep, she dreamed. 

She was standing outside a church of somekind, but it was partially demolished. She was frightened for no reason she could name. It felt like her heart was swelling up, and that any moment she would choke on it. There were tears in her eyes as well. 

It was the sort of dream where you can't control your actions, you can only watch what happens. She ran through the foyer, taking almost no notice of the unconcious people lying around her, except to briefly identify them. Duke, laying with his body half-covering a woman with long blond hair. Malik, looking like he'd been knocked backward _through_ a wall, judging from the hole he was lying under, his hand still clenched tightly around the Millenium Rod. Tea, her arms over her head as if trying to ward off a blow. 

She went by so fast, they were only flashes of faces. She longed to stop and check, hoping they were still alive, but she couldn't control her body at all. She ran past them, and burst through the main doors into the sanctuary of the church. 

It had been utterly demolished. The stained glass windows running up both side walls had been smashed, and the one remaining one cast fractures of coloured light around the room. Bits and pieces of smashed pews lay all over the place, and the pulpit was in splinters. The old wooden cross on the wall was miraculously all right, but was hanging at a cock-eyed angle. 

More people were laying on all sides, people Serenity recognized easily and loved dearly. Mai, her face streaked with tears, holding a battered and bruised Joey in her lap. Yami, franticly shaking Yugi's shoulders and yelling at him to wake up. Hiro, kneeling on the floor with Gwen craddled against him, whispering softly to her and smoothing her blood-soaked hair back from her face. 

But Serenity ran past all these too, no matter how desperately she wanted to stop. It was like time was slowing as she ran down the center isle, toward a small knot of people kneeling near where the pulpit used to be. Fate was there, her wings drooping, one of them torn badly and dripping blood, tears streaming down her face. Bakura was there too, a pained expression on his face, one hand clamped tightly over the deep wound in his left shoulder. For a moment Serenity's heart fluttered in fear as she pushed her way between them, but then she saw him, and a relieved sob caught in her throat. 

Ryou was sitting crosslegged on the ground, his tuxedo torn and blood-stained, tears streaming from his blind eyes, as he held his father's body in his arms. He let out a choked sob, running his hands over the many wounds that covered Shen's body, as if trying to heal them post-mortem. He looked up then, and his blind eyes met Serenity's. 

"Life from death," he whispered. "Is one gift I don't have." 

And only then did Serenity realize she was wearing a wedding dress. 

~*~

Serenity awoke with a gasp, running her shaking hands through her hair. "What a nightmare..." she murmered, shaking her head to clear it. She looked around and realized she was still on the plane, but that sunlight was streaming through the window. She shuddered slightly, but the light calmed her and the details of her dream began to fade, as dreams always do. 

Settling down somewhat, she glanced out the window and smiled when she saw sand. Good, they must be just about to Cairo then. Shaking her hair out of her eyes, Serenity glanced at her watch and nearly laughed out loud. It read four in the morning, which was, of course, the time it was in Japan right now. No wonder she'd slept all the way here! 

At precisely that moment the captain came over the intercom. He was speaking in Arabic, but Serenity got the main idea and buckled up for landing. A few minutes later she was hauling her bags down from overhead and fighting her way through the crowded plane. She immerged and immediately felt the hot, insufferably dry climate of northern Egypt. All of a sudden she felt like sitting down for a good cry. It was hot, she was tired and her dream was still bugging her. All around her she heard nothing but Arabic, and she had no idea how in the world she was going to get out to the dig where Ryou was. 

She had just about made up her mind to go find a corner somewhere and have a really good bawl, and then maybe try and find a phone to call Shaadi, when she heard someone yelling for her in Japanese. 

"Serenity! Hey Serenity, over here!" 

Serenity bounced to her feet from where she'd sunk down to sit on her suitcase. Grinning she waved her hands over her head, and a moment later Shen and Isis had fought their way through the crowd to her side. "Well now," Isis said, picking up one of Serenity's bags. "There there child, don't fret. Come on now, let's get outside." Shen picked up Serenity's other suitcase and her duffle, and together the trio headed outside. 

"It's so _hot_ here!" Serenity complained, searching her purse for a rubber band to tie her long hair back with. 

Shen chuckled and nodded. "Thus the reason Bakura hates snow." he said wryly. Serenity gave him a strange look, and so the trip to the dig was spent relating Bakura's adventures two years ago, when he'd first encountered snow in a mortal body with no soulroom to hide from it in. 

Serenity was laughing, at least until they reached the camp. Sugoroku and Arthur were working on translating some of the texts they'd managed to copy down before the tomb had been banned from them by Mahaado. They greeted Serenity solemnly, but her attention wasn't on them. She was staring at the tent that Shaadi had just stepped out of. She caught the guardian's eye, and he nodded tiredly. 

Breaking into a run, Serenity sprinted across the sand and ducked into the hospital tent. She nearly choked on her tears as she saw Ryou, and for the moment she didn't even notice Priestess, who was curled up once again by the telepath's feet. Falling to her knees, Serenity buried her face in Ryou's chest and began to sob. She half expected his arms to move around her, but of course he didn't move and that made her cry all the harder. 

She felt something nudge her arm and coo sadly, and she looked up and straight into the big eyes of a certain Kuriboh. She shrieked and back-peddled, and Priestess made a queer little noise that was half-way between the sobs Serenity had just been crying and a rather cat-like screech. Socrates looked rather annoyed at this, but then just went back to her nap. The cat hadn't been far from Ryou's side since yesterday evening, when Shen had carried him in. Serenity blinked in surprise, then slowly reached out to pat her. "Hello, what are you?" 

"That," Isis said from the doorway, "Is Priestess. She's something between a mascot and a pet, although we're not sure which." 

"She's a Kuriboh." Serenity pointed out the obvious, her eyes amazed. "How can she be here?" 

Isis shrugged and took a seat next to Serenity, wringing out a new cloth for Ryou's forehead. Sometime during the night Shaadi had started to keep one draped over his throat as well, and so Isis re-wet that one as well. "We're not sure. But she is, undoubtably, a very live Kuriboh." 

"Isis?" Serenity asked after a minute of silence. "What... what happened? I've never seen Ryou so sick before." Tears started to come to her eyes again. "When he was hurt, he could always heal himself. But this..." 

"Oh child..." Isis wrapped her arms around Serenity and gave her a motherly hug. Then she began to tell the story of what had happened to Ryou and what Mana had told them the night before. When she was finished, Serenity sat in contemplative silence for several minutes before she spoke up again. 

"Isis, do you see anything in the future? Anything really bad, I mean?" 

Isis was just about to give the same speech she'd given to Shen the night before when she paused, her forehead crinkled in thought. "Peculiar... Somehow, the Tauk is going to let me tell you things it wouldn't let me tell Shen..." She frowned, then began to speak as if reciting from a book. 

"_'Not all who died have gone away,   
Not all who live will chose to stay.   
The past and future meet as one,   
And finally a mother will find her true son._

Fate's son, Fate's child, Fate's thief-of-heart,  
Fate's Realm, Fate's truth, Fate will play her part.

Telepath whole and telepath half,  
Come together and join their path.  
Mage and magess, king of thieves,  
And Pharoah true will meet in Thebes.

When paths cross and destinies clash,  
Two alone will rise from the ash.  
Standing above and standing tall,  
The Sons of Thunder will rule over all.'" 

Isis shook her head sharply, and seemed to come out of her trance. She glanced at Serenity and smiled wryly. "I'm sorry, sometimes that just happens. Did that help any?" 

Serenity shook her head and frowned. "It would help more if you could repeat it." 

"Sorry," Isis said. "I don't even remember what I said. Sometimes I don't, when the Tauk takes me into a trance like that." 

(WSJ: *coughs* HCG, say one word about a certain Blue Eyes and I shall hurt you...) 

"Thebes," Serenity said. "Why does that sound so familiar?" 

"It's the ancient Egyptian name for the city of Luxor." Isis said. "You've probably heard Yami or Bakura use it. That's where they grew up and lived in their past lives." 

Serenity's frown deepened and she thought about he next part of the rhyme. "Fate's son, Fate's child, Fate's thief-of-heart... Does that have any significance at all to you, Isis-san?" 

Isis looked thoughtful. "Not really, but I do know that those three are all naming different people, not titles for the same person." 

"Strange." Serenity said. "Could 'Fate's child' be talking about Ryou? One of his titles is 'Child of Fate'." 

"Possible." Isis agreed, then looked started as the Tauk at her throat flashed. "_No!_" she said sharply, almost in disbelief. She frowned and tapped the Tauk. "It must be going rusty! What it just showed me was what I _suppose_ should have been a vision of the past, but there is no way that what it just showed me could be true!" 

"What did you see?" Serenity asked curiously. 

Isis shook her head and sighed. "I can't tell you. But I think you'll find out soon enough." Sighing again she turned away to look down at Ryou. _'What do you hide Ryou Bakura?'_ she thought silently, oblivious to the puzzled looks Serenity was giving her. _'You cannot possibly be what the Tauk says you are. Child of Fate...'_

"Isis-san?" 

"Hm?" she asked, glancing back at Serenity. 

"How far into the future can you see?" 

"It depends." Isis answered. "Why?" 

Serenity bit her lip and looked down at Priestess, who had curled up in her lap and was purring. "I had a really weird dream on the plane ride here. I don't remember much of it, except that I was in a church, and I was wearing a wedding dress, and that something awful had happened. I don't remember any of the details at all, just that it was a nightmare." 

Isis shook her head regretfully. "If you were getting married, it had to be at least five years from now. The farthest ahead the Tauk has ever shown me is three years. It was probably just a dream Serenity, don't worry about it." 

"Okay." Serenity said, but she couldn't stop the feeling that something about her dream just wasn't quite right. 

~*~

She must have dozed off again, because the next thing Serenity knew somone was shaking her gently by the shoulder. "Serenity, wake up Serenity, it's almost sundown." 

She yawned and lifted her head from where it had been pillowed on Ryou's blanket-covered legs, blinking sleepily up at Isis. "Sundown? What's that got to do with anything?" 

"Mana should be here soon." Shaadi answered for her. "And hopefully we'll be able to cure Ryou then." 

Serenity looked down at her hands as Isis, Shaadi, and Shen all took seats around the bed. "A telepath's blood..." 

"Yes," said a weary voice from the doorway. "And you're not." 

They looked up to see Mana standing in the doorway, leaning on her staff like it was all that was holding her up. She looked _incredably_ worn out. 

"What do you mean?" Serenity cried, half indignantly and half fearfully. "Isis said I was destined to be here. She told me so herself, not two hours ago!" 

"Destined to be here, yes," Mana said, making her way to crouch down so she was eye level with Serenity. She smiled gently at the shaking girl. "You don't hold the cure, but you will play a part. I don't claim to see the future," she cast a quick glance at Isis. "But I can see the events of the next few hours, and you, Serenity Wheeler, play a crucial role." 

"How... how do you know my name?" Serenity asked, blinking in amazement at the living Dark Magician Girl. 

Mana chuckled. "Just a little parlor trick, child. You love him, don't you?" She gestured toward Ryou with the end of her staff. 

Serenity nodded. "But Mana-san, how come I can't help Ryou? I'm a telepath, or at least part of one. Ryou hasn't really had the chance to teach me how to use what powers I have, but..." 

"You have some of a telepath's powers." Mana agreed. "But that's because they were given to you. You weren't born with them, they aren't in your blood. And it's a telepath's blood we need, not its powers." 

"So I'm useless." Serenity whispered. "And Ryou's just going to... just going to die?" 

"I didn't say that." Mana said, gently but firmly. "Didn't I just tell you you're going to play a part?" 

"What part?" Serenity demanded harshly, tears rolling down her pale cheeks. "Tell me so I can do it, and Ryou can get better before it's too late!" 

"It's not so simple." Mana explained. "Not all the players are here yet." 

"Who else could there possibly be?" Shaadi spoke up in bewilderment. "We could call down Yami-sama and Bakura from France, but I don't think either of them could help either. Bakura has some liguring shadow powers, but from what you said last night Yami uses natural white magic and would only make things worse." 

Mana chuckled ruefully. "Yes, that's very true. No, it's not them we need. She should be here very soon." 

"She...?" 

Mana cocked her head toward the door, which had just been pushed aside to permit a familiar figure entrance. "Yes, she." 

"What can I do?" the new-comer asked quietly. 

Shen, sitting with his back to the door, stiffened at the sound of the voice. He knew that voice, he'd dreamed of it every night for longer then he could remember. He knew her, he knew he did. But it was impossible! She was dead! He turned around, as if in a dream. Yes, the face was right, but he was pretty sure she hadn't had wings when he'd last saw her. She stood tall and straight in the doorway, as befitted the goddess she was, but her wings were drooping tiredly. There were bags under her eyes, those same violet eyes he remembered so well, which were filled with a very _human_ worry. 

Her eyes roved around the room, looking at each of the occupants in turn. Isis, who was sitting with her arm around Serneity, who was kneeling on the sandy floor next to the bed. Shaadi, who was sitting on a crate with Socrates and Priestess curled on his lap, both purring. Mana, leaning up against a tent pole with her staff propped up against the dressing table. Her eyes lingered longest on Ryou, and then turned to Shen. She gave a start as she easily recognised him, and he saw her lips ghost his name silently. "Shen..." 

"Fate-sama!" Serenity and Isis said at once. "Are you here to help?" Serenity continued. 

Fate tore her eyes away from Shen and smiled, nodding at the girl. "Hai, I am. The Elements represent both sides of magic, Serenity-chan. War and Desire and Passion use the natural magic, while Time and Hatred and I rely on the psychic magics. Death uses something else entirely. We hold the cure Ryou so desperately needs." A pained look came to her face, and her wings fluttered slightly in agitation before they settled back against her shoulders. 

"Not just that," Mana said quietly from her place in the corner. "The cure has to come from someone very close to the victim. And in the case of Ryou and Fate..." 

"Mana," Fate said, a warning note in her voice as she turned to look at the five-thousand year old magess. 

Mana smiled and shrugged. "Sorry Fate. I won't say it if you don't want to, but sooner or later you're going to have to admit the truth to the rest of them." She stepped forward, ignoring the glare Fate was aiming at her back. "Here's what we'll do," she said to the group in general. "Once we find out how much of Fate's blood we'll need and drain it, someone's going to have to give it to Ryou." She carefully hid her smile as she said gaily, "Who here's taken first aid?" 

Shaadi turned blue across the nose as he realized what she meant, and Isis blushed. Shen just snorted and looked at Serenity. Fate just sighed and looked at Shen, and after a moment he turned to look at her too. Their eyes caught and held, and then Fate turned away with something akin to sadness in her eyes. A moment later, everyone was looking at Serenity, who seemed to be trying to melt into the floor. "Me?" she squeaked. 

"Mm-hm." Mana said impishly. She was thouroughly enjoying this. "I assume you know how to administer liquid to an unconcious person?" She gave Serenity a sly smile and winked. "Besides, it's not like you've never kissed him before." 

"Kissed, yes," Serenity muttered, blushing deeply as she thought about the task ahead of her. "Frenched, no. Even just thinking of it..." 

"Oh, you're a big girl now." Mana prodded. "Besides, I don't think anyone _else_ here in willing to slide their tongue down Ryou's throat to make him swallow." 

Serenity's face was as red as the setting sun as she searched desperately for something to distract them. By the gods, even _Fate_ was snickering at her! "Who... who would know how much poison Ryou swallowed?" she asked faintly. 

Mana's expression darkened. "Only Mahaado." she said, looking at the floor and refusing to meet anyone's eyes. 

After a moment of silence on everyone's part, Shen got up from his seat and headed for the door, a determined swagger in his stride. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was headed for the tomb to see the living Dark Magician. 

"Shen!" Fate's voice took on a note of exhasperation, and she ran after him. No one else tried to follow. They'd seen the looks the goddess and the archaeologist had been shooting back and forth, and it was high time those two settled whatever differences they had. 

Outside the full moon turned the golden sand silver, but neither the Ring Goddess nor Shen took notice. Fate had no trouble catching up with the archaeologist and grabbing his arm. "Shen..." 

[Cue music: _Flying Away_ - Midorikawa Hikaru]

Shen turned, and for a moment they just stood looking at each other, Fate's hands resting lightly on Shen's arm. He knew those hands as well as he knew his own. Those small, perfect hands that could hurt or heal on a whim. No, the hands hadn't changed. The face was the same too, the same beautiful violet eyes framed by pale blond hair. But everything else... the goddess in front of him was so very different from the angel he knew. Finally, after what seemed a few hours, Shen spoke up. "It is you, isn't it." It wasn't a question. 

_Moetsukita chihei no kanata   
Hitotsu ji no asahi ga kagayaku_

"Say it," Fate said hoarsely, the moon creating a peculiar glowing halo effect with her blond hair and tears. "Say my name Shen." 

"It is you... Angeline." 

_Kizutsuite mo egao o wasurenai   
Itsuka aeru ashita o sagaso_

Fate smiled sadly, a couple tears sliding down her cheek to fall into the glimmering bejeweled sand. "Hai, that is one of my names. Oh Shen, I really did love you..." 

"I never doubted it," he whispered, choking on his tears. "Why couldn't you stay? And why didn't you tell me? Why did you make me think you'd _died_? God Angeline, I thought my heart would break!" 

"I am the Lady Wanderer." she said softly, turning her eyes to the distant horrizon. "Back then you wouldn't have understood who I was, who I am. And I have duties of my own to perform. But I'm glad to have had ten years with you, at least." 

"And I you." Shen held out his hand, and for a moment they stood palm-to-palm, Fate's wings fading away as she unconciously resumed the illusion she had created for herself when she had been Angeline. 

"Why?" Shen asked, drawing his wife into his arms. "Why me?" 

"Long ago I was granted the statis of a goddess after paying a great service to a pharoah," Fate said, leaning her head against his chest. " But I wanted to see what being a mortal was like. I... I never expected to fall in love." 

_Sayonara higashi no sora e tabidatsu tori yo   
Sekai wa itsumo omae no subete o tsutsumu_

Shen stiffened suddenly, and Fate looked up at him questioningly. "Shen, what..." 

"Amane," Shen said hoarsely. "She died around the time you-" 

Fate shook her head forcefully, burying it against Shen's neck. "It wasn't me, it wasn't me!" she sobbed quietly, her shoulders shaking as her wings burst back into view. "I would have saved her, but they wouldn't let me! They were too strong, and I was still weak from being a decade in human form..." she shuddered quietly. "But oh Shen, she's grown into such a beautiful young woman..." 

"You've seen her?" Shen asked, blinking in surprise. 

Fate nodded. "One of the duties of Fate is to work closely with the other Elementals, including Death. He gives me... certain allowences with Amane. Although one of the restictions is that she can never know I'm her mother." she sighed again, the tip of her feathered wing coming around to flick a tear out of her eye. 

_Namida sae nakushita asa ni   
Mo ichido nani ka ga hajimaru_

That made Shen think of something else, and he glanced back toward the tent behind them. "Ryou's your son as much as mine. Does he...?" 

Fate shook her head. "No, he isn't called 'Child of Fate' for nothing, but no, he doesn't know I'm his mother." She chuckled ruefully. "And yes, his Item is the Ring because I am its goddess, and yes he got his powers from me as well." Thinking of the Ring, her face darkened and she let out a deep sigh. 

"Mahaado was a great man, once." she said quietly, looking up at the moon as if it held the past for her. "He was once the greatest mage and the greatest friend and the most loyal servant anyone could ever ask for." She lowered her head, her wings pulled in around her like a cloak, as if they could give her some small comfort. "But when Bakura stole his Ring, and Yami-sama died soon after..." she shook her head, more tears sliding down to soak into the feathers of her white wing. "All his sanity fled, and and his anger and bitterness ate away at his insides like acid, until now there is nothing left of the man I knew and loved." 

_Oikakete mo todokanai mono nara   
Inochi kakete kono te ni tsukamo_

Shen looked startled, and turned to stare toward the dark mouth of the tomb, his fists clenched involentarily by his sides. "The man you loved? You act as if you knew him personally. And I thought Mana..." 

Fate let out a sound that was half laughter, half sob. "Oh Shen... Silly silly Shen... Don't you listen to your son? I am immortal. I _have_ been immortal since Yami raised me from the dead five-thousand years ago. And no dearest, you are the only lover I have ever had. Back then... back then Mahaado and Mana were my dearest friends. We all lived there, you know, all the Elementals. In Yami-sama's court, I mean. Ring and Rod and Puzzle, Tauk and Ankh and Scales and Eye. Oh Shen, I'd give anything to go back to those days..." 

Her eyes held a far-away look, as if she indeed was back in that far away past. "We were all at peace then. All of us, our holders too. But then the Shadows corrupted Hatred's hikari..." she shivered a little and leaned against Shen. "Oh Shen..." 

_FLYING AWAY kokoro no mama ni tonde yukitai   
FLYING AWAY kimi no tame nara sora o kake yo FLYING..._

Shen put his arms around her, holding her close just like he had back when they'd been married. Were they still considered husband and wife? After all, it wasn't like Angeline had _actually_ died. 

Shen pushed this thought aside as Fate's wings wrapped around him, embracing him even as he embraced Fate. For a long time they just stood like that under the Egyptian moon, both revelling in the memories it brought back. Finally Shen stirred. "Fate-sama?" he asked hesitantly. "We should be going back inside." 

Fate stared up at him, a strange look on her face. "Since when have you ever called me Fate, my love?" she asked, an unidentifiable tone in her voice. 

Shen blinked, and then smiled at her. "All right then... Angeline. Either we go back inside or we go into that tomb and beat the shit out of Mahaado for what he did to our little boy." 

Fate choked, although whether on more sobs or laughter Shen was never sure. She shook her head, her hand over her mouth. "Oh my lover! How I have missed you!" 

_Sayonara higashi no sora e tabidatsu tori yo   
Sekai wa itsumo omae o matte ita hazu_

Shen smiled fondly, stroking her long hair away from her face. "Well? Which will it be?" 

"To Mahaado then." Fate murmered, running and finger down his cheek and tracing his jaw down and across his chin. "When did you decide to grow a beard?" 

Shen chuckled ruefully and rubbed his scratchy jaw line. "It wasn't exactly intentional, I just haven't had the chance to shave for a week or two. You may notice Shaadi's starting to accumulate some stubble as well." 

Fate giggled, trying to picture the somber guardian with a full beard. "Gods, that's amusing... Shen," she said, turning serious once again. "Let me talk to him. No matter how bitter and lonely he's gotten, he's still my friend. He doesn't know you, so there's no telling how he might react if you try to demand information from him." Shen nodded, and Fate smiled at him as the two reached the tomb steps and began to decend. "Good." 

_FLYING AWAY kaze ni dakarete tonde yukitai   
FLYING AWAY kimi no tame nara jiyu ni nareru FLYING..._

[End music][2] 

As soon as they stepped over the thresh hold, all light seemed to be cut off, the moon included. Shen cried out, and a small, detatched part of him wondered if this immence darkness was what Ryou experienced every day. As for Fate, she just snorted. A second later Shen became aware of a dim light, and realized with facination that Fate's wings were glowing a faint golden color, as was the Eye of Horus on the front of her robe. (This is one place where the Change of Heart card differs from the being it was modeled after. Where the card has a heart, Fate's robe carries the Eye of Horus, with a small styalized Millenium Ring underneith) 

"Who dares enter my sanctuary?" 

The voice nearly caused Shen to jump out of his pants, but Fate just shook her head sadly. "Mahaado, come out of the shadows you've wrapped yourself in and face the light of truth. I, Goddess Fate, command you." 

The voice, which was, of course, Mahaado, whimpered slightly. A second later he stepped into the circle of light Fate was casting, though he cringed as if it hurt him. He looked unbearably like a little lost puppy, even his hat seemed to droop. His staff was clutched tightly in his hands, out in front of him as if as a shield, but Shen couldn't help but note that the mage's hands were shaking. 

"Why did you bring us to the Shadow Realm Mahaado?" Fate asked, her voice gentle but firm. Shen started slightly and looked around with more intrest. So _this_ was the place his sons had told him about so often. 

"Someone has stolen Mana," Mahaado said, in a dreamy sort of voice, like he was a scared little kid, or a very old man. "Whoever stole her will come back, and then I'll hurt them until they give her back." 

Fate tried to keep the tears out of her eyes and voice. "Oh Mahaado, what have you become?" she murmered quietly to herself. Her eyes didn't carry anger or sadness now, just pity and a vast sisterly love. "Oh my Mahaado... No one has stolen Mana. She's just gone for a little walk, and will be back soon." 

Mahaado perked up at those words, looking at Fate hopefully. "Back soon?" 

"Yes Mahaado," Fate said, ever so gently. "Back soon. She'll come back as soon as you answer a question for me. Do you remember Bakura?" 

Mahaado hissed, making Shen jump from where he'd been examining a peculiarly familiar set of carvings on the walls. "_Yes_. He took Mana, I'll bet!" Mahaado said, a crazed look entering his eyes. "He took my Ring, he murdered my children, and now he's taken my Mana away from me! I'll find him! I'll find him and I'll _kill_ him!" 

"He's already _been_ dead..." Shen muttered, careful not to let the magician hear him. "Twice, in fact..." 

"Mahaado, Bakura didn't take Mana, she'll come back soon." Fate said firmly. "When the sun rises she'll come home. Now listen Mahaado. Do you remember the boy who looked like Bakura?" 

Mahaado's hand strayed up to touch his neck. "Yes! He bit me!" Mahaado cackled. "But he was poisoned! Mage-poisoned! Nasty little telepath won't be here anymore!" 

Hearing the childish glee in Mahaado's voice, Shen spun around, ready to tackle the mage. One of Fate's wings snapped open in front of him in an almost off-handed manner. Other then that, the goddess ignored her husband, concentrating instead on the mage in front of her. She feigned delight. "Mage-poisoned! How wonderful! How much?" 

Mahaado cackled again. "Almost a quarter-cup!" he announced happily, bouncing up and down on his toes. "Stupid telepath, one of Bakura's allies. No more!" Suddenly he stopped, and he seemed to look at Fate with clearer eyes. "Do I... do I know you from somewhere?" 

Fate choked back a sob of remorse. "Yes... A long time ago, we were friends." 

"Yes..." Mahaado said in a dreamy voice. "A long time ago... Mana will remember. Mana always remembers. Do you know where Mana is, good lady?" 

"She'll be back soon," Fate promised softly, and then turned to lead Shen out of the Shadow Realm and back into the clear night. The tomb doors slammed shut of their own accord behind them, and Fate bit her lip at the finality of the sound. She'd barely taken two steps before she dropped to her knees, her arms and wings hugged against her tightly as her tears spilled onto the sand. "Oh Mahaado..." she sobbed, pounding her fists against the sand. "Why you Mahaado?!" 

Shen knew it was probably better to leave her alone as she grieved for the friend she'd once loved so dearly, so he headed back across the sands for the tent and slipped inside quietly. Isis and Serenity and Mana were discussing something over by Ryou. It was probably something womanly, from the way Serenity kept blushing a deep cherry colour. Shaadi was again changing the cool clothes on Ryou's forehead and neck, hindered by the fact that Socrates was trying to give Ryou's face a rather rough tongue bath. 

Fate stepped in behind him, and Shen turned toward her worridly. "Are you...?" 

"I'm okay." Fate said quietly, standing on tiptoe to give Shen a quick kiss. "Thank you." 

Both the goddess and the archaeologist realized that the tent had just suddenly gone dead silent. "What?" Shen asked after a self-concious moment of being stared at. 

"You just..." Shaadi tried to figure out how to say it. "You just kissed a goddess, and weren't turned into a fly or blown into dust or _anything_!" 

Fate looked shocked at that, while Shen grinned widely. "Oh I've done a lot more then just _kiss_ this particular goddess... Where in space did you think Ryou came from, anyway?" 

"Shen!" Fate blushed deeply, giving her lover a whack across the head. Mana didn't seem surprised, and actually smiled knowingly, but as for Isis, Shaadi, and Serenity their reactions were vastly different. 

"You're Ryou's _mother_?!" Serenity squealed in shock, while Shaadi and Isis just stared with their mouths hanging open. For a moment Serenity looked like she was going to faint, but she recovered herself to add "Does he _know_?!" 

Fate looked a little embarrassed. "I don't think so, no..." she muttered. 

"So the Tauk _was_ right when it told me Ryou was Fate's son!" Isis realized. "It all makes sense now!" 

"Well good," Shaadi said dryly. "I'm glad it does to one of us." 

"Shaadi?" Isis asked, as sweetly as possible. "Shut up." 

"Yes dear..." 

"Wait!" Serenity said, her eyes widening. "Isis, the prophesy you rattled off earlier! 'Fate's son, Fate's child, Fate's thief-of-heart.' Now we know who the 'Fate's son' is. That has to be Ryou." 

"And I would be her thief-of-heart." Shen said sheepishly, casting a loving look at his wife. She giggled and nodded. "Yes, he _definately_ stole my heart." 

"Fate's child..." Isis mused. Suddenly she looked up at Shen and Fate. "Wait, you two had a daughter as well, didn't you?" 

"Hai," Shen said, a little sadly. "But she passed away a long time ago. She couldn't possibly be part of the prophesy." 

"We can figure it out later." Mana said irritably. "We only have a few more hours until I have to leave at sunrise, and Ryou may not be able to wait another night to be cured. Let's get this ox cart rolling!" 

"Tell me what I have to do." Fate said, stepping forward. 

Mana picked up a tin mug off a nearby crate and held it out to her. "We're going to need you to cut yourself or something and let it bleed into here." 

Fate nodded, and then to the surprise of all tore a long strip off her robe and kneeled to tie it around Ryou's left hand like a bandage. "What's that for?" Serenity asked. 

Fate smiled wanely. "I'm so closely linked to him that if I get hurt, he bleeds too. That'll keep anything from getting on the sheets." Summoning a knife in her right hand, she quickly slashed open her left palm and then held it over the cup, letting her blood drip into it. Shen stood by with a bandage, so when the cup was about half full he quickly wrapped up her hand to stop the bleeding. And indeed, the strip of cloth around Ryou's hand was bloody too, although when Serenity pulled it away there wasn't any cut or anything underneith. 

All of them jumped when Shaadi's cell rang, and he picked it up rather sheepishly. "Hello?" He held the phone away from his ear and winced at the string of Egyptian explenatives radiating outward from it. They were so loud that in the desert silence everyone in the tent could hear them. Once the voice slacked off and began to repeat itself, Shaadi tentatively put the phone back to his ear. "How in hell's name did you get this number?" 

The voice on the other end was still yelling, and everyone heard him quite clearly. "Chikuso Shaadi! Does it matter?!? K'so k'so... damnit, I need Amoura to teach me how to cuss in French. WHAT IN HELL IS HAPPENING TO MY HIKARI!?!?!" 

Shaadi winced again. "Ah... Would you like to talk to Fate-sama?" 

The voice calmed down quite a bit, but everyone could still imagine he was quite purple in the face. "Fate-sama's there? For the love of Egypt Shaadi, _put her on!_" 

Fate banished the knife and took Shaadi's cell in the hand that Shen wasn't fussing over. "Hello Bakura." 

"What in %#&*@ is happening to Ryou?! My glove just got soaked through with blood in about ten seconds flat! What hurt him? I'll murder them in their sleep!" 

Fate chuckled. "You may have already had the chance to, and didn't know it. Tell me, where did you first get the Ring?" 

"From that cocky priest Mahaa... do... _No_!" 

"Oh yes." Fate said grimly. "Quite so." 

Bakura let out another long string of explenetives. "I'll _kill_ him!" 

"He's already quite dead." Fate reminded him dryly. "And no need to worry about Ryou. He wasn't hurt badly, and in fact, in a few days he should be back on his feet." she lied glibly, ignoring the penetrating looks the others were giving her. "But if you'll excuse me, he needs attending to. Ja." 

"Ja." Bakura said grudgingly. "I want him to call me on Amoura's cell as soon as he's able." Bakura rattled off the number, and Fate dutifully wrote it down. 

"I will Bakura. Sayanora." She hit the off button and handed the phone back to Shaadi, then turned to look expectantly at Serenity. "Well? My part's done." 

Serenity gulped as Mana held the tin cup out to her. "Do I really have to do this?" she asked weakly, trying not to keel over at the sight and smell of so much blood. 

"How much do you love him?" Mana asked quietly, and Fate echoed the question. "How far would you go for my son?" 

Serenity turned her wide eyes toward Ryou, blinking back tears. He'd saved her life so many times. Now it was her turn once again to save his. And ironicly, it again had to be blood, only this time it wasn't hers. "I love him more then anything else." she whispered. Taking the cup from Mana, she moved to kneel beside the bed. 

"It might..." Isis hesitanted to make the suggestion. "It might be easier Serenity if you were... you know, on top of him." 

Serenity blushed deeply at the suggestion, but apparently agreed with the older woman. Setting the cup down on a nearby small table, she shooed Socrates off the bed and climbed up herself. She gingerly straddled Ryou's stomach, her knees on either side of him. Still blushing she reached over and picked up the cup. 

She sniffed it experimentally and almost retched. Yup, most definately blood. Closing her eyes she tilted her head back and let the blood flow into her mouth. It was still warm and tasted coppery with a hint of spice, and she had to work hard not to gag. Forcing herself not to think about how barbaric what she was doing was, she thought only of Ryou and how desperately he needed the cure only she was willing to administer. 

(ATTN minors: what follows is a rather descriptive and very long kiss. Eh, dunno why I'm warning you, but some may be offended. *shrug* If so, skip down to the line of stars.)

Placing her hands on Ryou's shoulders to brace herself, Serenity leaned forward, her hair cascading down around her in auburn waves until their lips met. 

His lips were warm, from fever or just body heat, and for a moment Serenity nearly forgot the copper taste of the blood in the pleasure of kissing him again. Sliding her tongue between his lips she opened his mouth to receive the blood into his own. Fearful that he would choke, Serenity didn't dare pull away yet, but instead went deeper still. Timidly she slid her tongue along his, and felt her heart thrill in responce. She only wished he was awake to share this. 

A moment later Ryou gagged, and unconciously swallowed. Serneity nearly wept in joy. The cure had taken! He'd be all right! But still, she was having a bit too much fun "exploring", and didn't want to quite pull away yet. She came up momentarily for air, and then kissed him again. 

To her surprise and joy Ryou's arms reached up to encircle her waist, pulling her down against him. She squeaked and broke the kiss, but his lips found hers again, and this time it was his tongue that darted between her lips. A moment later she broke the kiss again, slightly breathless, tears making wet lines down her cheeks. "Oh Ryou! You're okay!" 

*************************** 

"Of course," he said softly. His voice was weak, and Serneity could tell how tired he was, but his arms around her waist were firm and strong. "With you here koi, how could I not be?" 

Serenity nearly wept in relief and laid her head against his chest. "I'm so glad..." 

Still in need of rest, despite the fact that he would be all right, Ryou quickly fell back asleep. Serenity followed soon after, still craddled in Ryou's arms. 

"They're cute." Mana chuckled, taking her staff from the corner and heading for the door. "But I must go. Mahaado is usually lost without me. I'll return tomorrow night to see how he's doing, but I wouldn't be worried if he sleeps all day. The poison may be nullified now, but he still needs to get it out of his system. Keep the cool cloth across his forehead, just in case his fever returns. I'll see you all tonight." 

"Wait," Fate rose gracefully to her feet from where she and Shen had been 'aww'ing over their son and his girlfriend, as well as remenicing about their own first kisses. "Mana, it's been too long. Can we talk awhile? There are still a few hours until sunrise, and surely Mahaado can survive until then." 

Mana nodded, her face lighting up. "Yes, I believe he can. Come on then Fate-sama, you're exactly right. It has been much too long." 

The two women left the tent together, and soon after Shaadi and Isis bid Shen a good night. They were looking lovingly at each other, and Shen decided he didn't want to know where they were headed. He shook his head and, after checking once more on his son, he turned the oil lamp down low and left for his own tent. 

He was mostly asleep when Fate slid in beside him, but not too asleep to take her into his arms. 

Ryou did indeed sleep through most of the next day, although no one really bothered about him because Serneity was up and about and hovering more thouroughly then Fate could ever hope to. Speaking of, Fate and Shen didn't appear out of their tent until well after noon, but no one could blame them. Now that they'd found each other again they seemed hardly able to be apart for even a few minutes. 

It was during this day that Arthur and Sugoroku had a long, long talk with Fate, Isis, Shaadi, and Shen, and quite a few things were finally cleared up for them. Ryou awoke for a short time that evening, just long enough for Serenity to feed him some soup laced with a little more of Fate's blood, just as a precaution. After that he fell back into a deep slumber, not even waking when Mana checked in on him after sundown. 

The next day he was awake more, although Serenity would barely let him out of bed to use the bathroom. Fate stayed well out of her son's sight, explaining that at this point seeing her (or rather, not) would be a bit too much of a shock for the poor telepath. He was worn out enough as it was. 

But by the fourth day he was up and about, although he stopped frequently to rest. Priestess and Socrates had barely left his side the entire time. Fate finally deemed him well enough to see her, although she thouroughly surprised him by stepping into the tent. His telepathic powers had been much diminished by his illness, and for now he could barely sense anything ten feet away. 

"Fate-sama!?" he asked, jerking into as upright possition, despite Serenity's protests. 

Fate laughed as Shen stepped in behind her. "Yes and no, Ryou." 

[Cue music: _Hands_ - Jewel]

Ryou frowned slightly at this, but he was trying to think of something else. His powers might be weak, and his eyesight gone, but he still had his other senses, and he could smell something in the air. He placed it, and wrinkled his nose, his eyes narrowing to slits in agitation. "Someone's bleeding..." 

Fate blinked, her right hand absently straying to where her left was still bandaged by her side. It seemed she'd been a bit reckless when slicing her palm open, and had cut a major vein. And for all the power Fate possessed, healing was not one of them. "It's me Ryou. I cut my hand a few days ago and it isn't healing quite as it should." 

Ryou looked genuinely confused. "Why don't you go back to wherever it is you stay then, and have Desire-sama or Passion-sama heal it? They both can, right?" 

Fate nodded ruefully. "I probably will in a few more days. But to tell you the truth, I was more concerned about you." 

_If I could tell the world just one thing   
It would be that we're all OK   
And not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful   
And useless in times like these_

"About me?" Ryou asked as Fate came to sit on the edge of his cot. 

Fate nodded, a small smile gracing her face. "Hai, about you. Can I ask you something Ryou? Just why is it you're called the Child of Fate?" 

"Because I hold the Millenium Ring and you are its protecter." he said promptly. 

Fate's smile widened a trifle. "Not entirely. That is one of the reasons, yes, but the other is much more literal." 

Ryou's eyes widened to the size of saucers as her meaning dawned on him. He squeaked in surprise then turned toward Shen, who had come up to stand behind Fate with his hands on her shoulders. Serenity was standing in the corner, watching the exchange quietly. "D-dad?" he asked shakily. 

Shen smiled a little at how much his grown son sounded like a child. And in many ways, he still was. Especially now. "Yes Ryou, Fate-chan is your mother. I only learned of it myself a few days ago." 

Ryou's eyes widened farther. "F-fate-sama is okaasan? Okaasan is a goddess!?! But okaasan died!" 

In the corner Serenity's eyes widened. "Ryou, Fate-sama's a _goddess_!! If she's your _mother_, that makes you a half-god human!" 

"More of a half-human god." Fate corrected off-handedly, causing Serenity and Ryou both to nearly faint. 

_I won't be made useless   
I won't be idle with despair   
I will gather myself around my faith   
For light does the darkness most fear_

Fate chuckled sadly and reached out to take his hand. "I more or less faked my own death Ryou. I only meant to be a mortal for a year or two, not a decade and a half. I never expected to fall in love with your father, but I did. I never expected to have you and your sister, but I did. And after I did, after I had a family and a home, I wanted to stay. But I had duties to perform as Fate, and I couldn't stay. But I could at least make sure I could keep watch over you, so I did, by giving you the Ring." 

Ryou's eyes narrowed suddenly, and his gaze turned almost accusatory. Unconciously his hand right hand moved to cover the scars that rested on his left hand and arm. "You knew. You knew about Bakura, and gave me the Ring anyway. You let me get beaten and blinded, and you let Amane _die!_ How could you!?" 

_My hands are small, I know   
But they're not yours, they are my own   
But they're not yours, they are my own   
And I am never broken_

Fate lowered her head in shame. "Hai, I did know about Bakura. The only reason I stood for it was because my brother Time told me it was necessary. He's the only one of us seven who can see the future, you know. He wouldn't tell me what was to come, but he assured me that you being beaten was required for the proper future to come about. And it has, hasn't it? You and Bakura are now closer then brothers, and Time tells me that that bond must be in place for events that are further in the future. Not only that, but the beatings opened thd door for your true powers to shine through." 

Ryou exclaimed in surprise, and Fate nodded before continuing. "As Mana already told you, natural magic and psychic magic cannot exist at once in the same person. I was barely able to create the Millenium Ring's natural magic, because my own powers are telepathic. _You_, my son, could not develop your powers to the fullest extent while the Ring still carried power. Thus, when the Locking Rituals and Bakura's transformation into a mortal body rid the Ring of all its significant powers, your telepathic magic was able to grow stronger and fill the void in you where the Ring's natural magic had rested before. 

"As for Amane..." Fate bowed her head, her shoulders shaking slightly. Shen tightened his grip on her shoulders reassuringly. "Amane didn't have the natural magic of an Item to slow her, and her telepathic powers were already beginning to immerge by the time she was ten. After I "died" the enemy took a swipe at her, because they knew that eventually she had the potential to destroy them. So they killed her. Oh Ryou, I would have stopped them if I could..." 

_

Poverty stole your golden shoes   
It didn't steal your laughter   
And heartache came to visit me   
But I knew it wasn't ever after

_

_

We'll fight, not out of spite   
For someone must stand up for what's right   
'Cause where there's a man who has no voice   
There ours shall go singing

_

"The enemy?" Ryou asked quietly. 

"The one you call the True Pharoah, and all his minions. Several of them you've already met. Briar-Rose, Firas, Jalila, Kuroi Karasu, and now Rigel. There's something else you should know, Ryou. Your sister Amane was to have been the most powerful telepath in the world. She was the one destined to overthrow the Shadow Realm, but since she was killed that destiny has fallen to you. I cannot see the future like Time can. I can't heal hurts like Passion and Desire can. I'm not as strong as War, as resiliant as Death, as shrewd and wily as Hatred. I'm just me, Fate. But I'll help you any way I can. You have my heart and hands Ryou, use them as you will. I _will_ get back at the evil that killed my daughter and has tried to murder my son!" 

_

My hands are small I know   
But they're not yours, they are my own

_

"And mine." Shen said quietly. "Whatever it takes Ryou, I'll stand by you." 

"And mine too." Serenity said, sitting down next to Fate on the edge of his cot, her face serious. She laid a hand on Ryou's arm, idly tracing the scars that ran across it. Each held the echo of a hurt that was, ultimately, the True Pharoah's fault. "I love you Ryou, so much. I'll fight with you from here to hell if that's what it takes." 

_

But they're not yours, they are my own   
I am never broken   
In the end only kindness matters

_

Ryou gaped in amazement at his parents and his koibito, an unexpected lump forming in his throat. "I - I can't... I don't know what to say. You three mean the world to me... I don't feel right about letting any of you go on to the battle field to fight with me!" 

"But we won't just be fighting with you." Fate said quietly. "We'll be fighting _for_ you. Ryou, it isn't your choice. You have no say over what we do. Our lives are our own responcibility, and if we choose to die fighting by your side, then so be it." 

_

In the end only kindness matters   
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray   
I will get down on my knees, and I will pray

_

_"The Elementals side with Ryou Bakura, now and for eternity."_

Ryou's head jerked up, his eyes opened wide. "Hatred-sama?" 

_"Death will never stop you, in fact, I will fight _for_ you."_

"Death-sama..." 

_"You fight with such a passion Ryou-san, how can I not be on your side?"_

"Passion-sama..." 

_"You have a great many desires, Ryou-san, but the greatest is for peace. I will do all I can to grant that wish."_

"Desire-sama..." 

_"I hope you know I only fight on the winning side of any skermish. So what does it tell you that I fight for you?"_

"War-sama..." 

_"You are my sister's son. Time is on your side."_

"Time-sama..." As each of the Elementals pledged their support, Ryou's heart swelled. Tears gathered in his eyes. But once all the Elementals had chimed their vows, it was the next voices that really stirred Ryou's soul. 

_"Go get'um onii-san!" _

"We're right behind you, brother of my brother." 

"Kick demon butt!" 

"I agree with my wife, Ryou-boy. We're with you." 

And still more, voices Ryou had never heard save the first, but somehow knew of their owners. 

_"Gin Hebi is at your service." _

"We fight for you, negative of my hikari." 

"Blue Eyes stands by you." [4] 

"..." His eyes still watering, Ryou sniffled. "I don't deserve any of this..." 

_

I will get down on my knees, and I will pray   
My hands are small I know   
But they're not yours, they are my own   
But they're not yours, they are my own

_

"Of course not." Fate said glibly. "They were _supposed_ to pledge their lives to Amane. But as I said, her tasks have fallen to you. But you, like all of us, have a choice. What will it be my son? Quickly, you only have a short time to choose! Will you defend the realms, champion the light against the shadows, or will you pass on the task to another?" 

Ryou paused only a second. It could mean his death, the deaths of all those he loved and cared for, but what was the alternative? Giving someone else, less suited, the same hard task? Never. "I will fight. I've already fought Jalila and Briar-Rose, fought them and won. Who would I be to stop half way?" 

_

And I am never broken   
My hands are small I know   
But they're not yours, they are my own   
But they're not yours, they are my own

_

Fate smiled, and Serneity put her arms around him. "It won't be easy." the goddess cautioned him. 

"Who ever said it would be?" Ryou asked, pulling Serenity closer to him. 

_And I am never broken   
We are never broken   
We are God's eyes   
God's hands   
God's mind _

We are God's eyes   
God's hands   
God's heart 

We are God's eyes   
God's hands   
God's eyes   
We are God's hands 

We are God's hands

[End music][3] 

Fate inclined her head in agreement, and then blinked and looked up, her brow furrowing in concentration. "Something's wrong..." 

Shaadi burst into the tent just then, gasping for breath. "Fate-sama, Ryou! We just got a call from Yugi. Amoura and Bakura are in the ICU in Switzerland." 

"_What?_" Ryou asked, rocketing upward out of bed, and then stumbling a second before catching his balance. "What happened, what's wrong?" 

"Apparently they got caught in a blizzard." Shaadi said grimly. "Amoura should be fine, but Bakura's in pretty bad shape. The doctors don't know if he'll make it." 

"I have to get there..." Ryou muttered. He took a step toward the door, then groaned and put a hand to his forehead. Serenity jumped to his side to steady him, urging him to get back in bed, but to the surprise of all he slapped her hand away. "I _have_ to go!" he repeated firmly. "If Joey was hurt bad, wouldn't _you_ want to go to him?" 

"This is different." Serenity replied, slightly stung. "You're as bad off as he is!" 

"It is _not_ different!" Ryou responded, his aura beginning to glow around him. "He's my other half, my other self, my brother in spirit if not in blood. I am _going_ to Switzerland! I have to be there," he continued in a more subdued voice. "Even if just to see him before he..." 

"Don't say that." Serenity said, taking him by the arm again. "We'll _both_ go." She turned to look at Shaadi. "How fast can you get us plane tickets?" 

Shaadi took the hint and nodded before turning to go. He passed Mana on his way out, and was surprised to find that it was indeed after sunset. She entered the tent and cried out at seeing Ryou out of bed. "You should be resting!" 

"I can't." Ryou said, leaning slightly on Serenity. "Bakura may be dying. I _have_ to go." 

Mana sighed, then nodded. "As much as Mahaado doesn't like him... He had my forgiveness a long time ago, and I do not wish him death." she said. "Please, if you can, tell him that." 

Ryou paused, then straightened up and stepped forward on his own to face Mana. He was surprised to note he was taller then her. After a moment he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him. "I will Mana-san, I promise. And you had no part in what happened to me, so I am glad to consider you a friend. After all, a friend of my mother's is usually a friend of mine. Don't worry Mana-san. I still have a bone to pick with Mahaado, so I'll be back. Yami and I both." 

"Yami-sama..." Mana breathed. Then she let out a sob. "He won't even recognize Mahaado... Go then telepath, and know I fight for you as well." 

Ryou blinked at her in shock. "How did you...?" 

Mana just smiled, flicking her tears away with her fingers. "I'll go then, and leave you to your packing. Go you safe, telepath." 

"And you magess." Ryou said quietly as she turned to leave. "And you." 

~*~

[1] - Suicide Boy: Ah, that would be the lovable Heero Yuy, who has blown himself up either on purpose or on accident multiple times and has always survived. *sweatdrop*   
The Silencer: That would be Trowa Barton, nicknamed Silencer both for the fact that he hardly ever speaks and that he silences his enemies quickly and efficiantly.   
The Dragon That Won't Die: The one and only Chang Wufei. ^o^ Mwaha. *glomp* 

[2] - *blink* Lots of GW cameos tonight... The song I used was one of Heero's image songs, _Flying Away_, sung by Midorikawa Hikaru. Obviously, the lyrics are in Japanese. The translation is as follows: 

In the burnt horizon yonder   
A ray of morning sun shines 

Though hurt, I shall not forget your face   
I search for the tomorrow when I will meet you 

FARWELL A bird setting off to the eastern skies   
The world's always around you 

Even in the morning I run out of tears   
Once again something begins 

If it's something that I can't reach despite chasing it   
Risking life I'll grasp it in my hands 

FLYING AWAY I want to fly the way I am   
FLYING AWAY If it's for your sake I shall cruise the skies FLYING... 

FARWELL A bird setting off to the eastern skies   
The world ought to have been waiting for you 

FLYING AWAY I want to fly embraced by the wind   
FLYING AWAY If it's for you I can be free FLYING...   
FLYING... 

If any of you have actually read my entire bio, you'll also note that that is Fate/Angeline's theme song. ^~ 

[3] - _Hands_, by Jewel, is now in hot contention with _Flying Away_ over which will be Fate's theme song. ^^ Both of them fit rather well, don't they? Which one do YOU guys think fits her better? 

[4] - *hides from HCG and runs away giggling* 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *squeals* Awww...! How cute is the picture of Shaadi praying? *squeals again* Anyway, jeez what a long chapter! @_@ And in the extended version it will be even longer, because that edition will have several extra scenes, including Serenity's layover in Bangkok and Mana and Fate's long late-night talk. ^~ But that's all later. 

*sniffles much* WAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!! 

Althalus: *sweatdrop* 

WSJ: *glomples onto Althalus* 

Dweia: X_x; *fumes* 

Ryou: ^^; Nevermind minna-san, SJ just finished _The Redemption of Althalus_, by David & Leigh Eddings, which just may be her new favorite book... 

Tenre & Aset: *pout pout* 

WSJ: ^^ Anyway, I'll be gone Tuesday through Friday (October 27-31) because of a missions trip my class is taking. So if you e-mail me those days, I WILL answer, just not until Friday or Saturday. ^~ 

Goodness, a lot of people realized I'd skipped Duke last chapter! *blink blink* I WAS going to put him in, but I ran out of inspiration, plus I was _dying_ to move on to this chapter. *sighs* I'll make sure to stick him in next chapter, okay? And speaking of chapter 10... 

So, is that enough meat for you all to chew on for awhile? :p Good, because I don't expect to get chapter 10 out any time soon. X_x; *mutters and wanders off to work on _Hot Sands, Warm Arms_ some more* 

Now that we know that Ryou's okay, let's back up about a week and see what everyone else has been doing, as well as the events that led up to the Switz disaster I just finished hinting about. ^_~ Ciao for now minna-san! 

God bless minna-san! 


	10. When Ski Poles Attack!

WSJ: @_@ Mon français devoir est prendre par-dessus moi! Je suis française... 

Amoura: *blinku* Non, je ne suis pas d'accord, SJ. Tu est americaine. Faire tu pas avoir géometrie à faire? 

WSJ: *scowls* Zut Amoura! C'est-à-dire un secréte! Je faire pas désirer à! 

Amoura: *sarcasticly* Tu rigoles! 

WSJ: *shakes her head sharply* Sorry about that. ^^ Having French class as the second to last class of the day never helps much when I'm coming straight home to write. I appologise too for the attrocious grammar, I was trying to put all that together from the meager glossary at the back of my text book... 

Amoura: *mutters something sarcastic and stalks off* 

WSJ: ^^; Anyway... We have a guest this chapter! 

Ryou: *blinks* What? A guest? 

WSJ: *snickers and pulls Kaze out from where he'd been trying to hide under her desk* Kidnapping is fun... And with Kawari getting all the attention I thought Kaze deserved at least a bit. :p 

Kaze: -_-; This is embarrassing... *is dressed completely in _tight_ black leather, and is shackled to the leg of WSJ's desk* 

Ryou: *twitches* Well, at least SJ's not stalking _me_ anymore... ^o^ Sucks be to you. 

Kaze: -_-+ I'll get you for that you telepathic runt... 

Ryou: *grins and tsk tsks* 

WSJ: :p Ryou, don't antagonize the bishonen. Or I'll give you to Mahaado to play with. 

Ryou: ¬¬ Yes ma'am... *edges away from the closet, where Mahaado is currently penned up* 

WSJ: ^o^ For those of you who don't know who Kaze *pauses to huggle the grumbling Negative* and Kawari are then go read High Crystal Guardian's fics, they're hers. :p And now on to a few questions I've received... 

**On the matter of Fate/Angeline and Anjil**: *laughs evilly* So I have managed to confuse you, eh? *smirks* It'll be explained. Not for awhile yet, but it will be explained... ^^ Can you wait until Ryou and Serenity get to Switzerland (about 4/5 chapters from now)? You can't? Aw, sorry. :p I will give you a hint though. Waaaaaay back in chapters 16/17 of VotH, Bakura and Ryou (and later Yami) _speculated_ that Anjil was reincarnated as Angeline. And last chapter Fate came right out and said that she lived back in ancient Egypt. So her comment to chibi-Ryou in chapter 16 ("Bakura was someone I loved... very much...") would be justified without her necessarily having to be Anjil. ^~ But anyway, it will be explained in time, so just chill a little and be patient. 

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO, but the OCs and Elements are mine. Kitty is owned by Mortae, and Syne & Alexi are owned by Sesca3. Amoura, Lisa, and various others belong to Brood Mayran. 

WSJ: *puts her head in her hands and shakes her head wearily* My little brother's Megablocks Dragons are attacking my little sister's "Fort Barbie"... *shudders* 

Kaze: *sweatdrop* And, on that note, roll fic! 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 10 -- When Ski Poles Attack! 

_

Quote of the Chapter:

_

"I will never understand. Does it matter? It's a game! It's big burly men in tight pants and no brains knocking their heads together like billy goats! Hey! Stop screaming at the TV and listen to me!"  
~(Me, trying to figure out why my father and grandfather like to watch football) 

Gwen sighed in slight exasperation as she ducked out of another of the mall's resturants. "Where in heck would they be?!" she muttered, glancing at her watch. "It's almost 12:30. I've _got_ to find them sometime in the next half hour and then meet the others at the grand stand." 

Not watching where she was going the blond darted around one of the many stalls set up to sell Duel Monsters cards and ran straight into a much shorter body. Gwen quickly caught her balance, even as the shorter girl fell over onto her butt. 

"~Geez, sorry.~" Gwen said, offering her hand to help the other up. "~I wasn't watching where I-~" she broke off and grinned. "~So there you are Syne!~" 

(Okay, this is already getting annoying. ~_~' For now I'm just going to have them talk in regular quote marks. I'll go back to noting English and Jap when they meet back up with the Ishtars and Hiro, okay?) 

"Hi Gwen." Syne took her taller friend's hand and pulled herself to her feet. She dusted off her Water Omotics costume and then grinned widely. "Dressed as Witty Phantom _again_ this year?" 

Gwen shrugged. "Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it. Say, are you up for a tag-team duel with me and some friends? One of the commissioners asked me to participate, and when we needed a fourth person I thought immediately of you. You _did_ bring your deck, right?" 

"Tch, do I leave home without it? I'll beat you yet Gwendolyn Kennady!" 

"Ha! I'd like to see you _try_ Syne." 

"Hey Gwen, long time no see!" 

Both Gwen and Syne turned to face a tall girl with long, wavy black hair dressed up in a Maiden of the Aqua costume. She was carrying two ice creame bars shaped like little Duel Monsters cards, and she handed one of them to Syne before unwrapping the other for herself. This was Syne's little sister, Alexi. They really made quite an odd trio. Syne, although the shortest, was actually the oldest of the three. Gwen was only a few weeks younger then her, but was a good five inches taller. Alexi, who was younger then the other two by a couple years, topped Gwen by at least three inches in height. 

"What's this I hear about you two beating each other up all over the arena again?" Alexi inquired, raising an eyebrow in Gwen's direction. 

Gwen grinned widely. "I need Syne to tag-team with me and my friends. The duel starts in..." She checked her watch. "About forty-five minutes." 

"And THIS time I'm going to beat you!" Syne declared, waving her ice creame around dramaticly as the three of them started toward the grand stand. 

Gwen snorted. "Two words Syne-chan: you wish." 

"Hey," Alexi said suddenly, trying to diffuse a potentially explosive situation. Whenever her sister and Gwen started in on their dueling records, things could get a little ugly. "You've been in Japan for the last year, haven't you? So who are these friends you have with you today? Someone you met in Japan?" 

"But of course," Gwen said, grinning as she readjusted the waist coat on her outfit. "Actually Syne, I've been meaning to write you for awhile. I'm actually going to college with Yugi Moto and a whole lot of his friends!" 

Alexi's and Syne's eyes both widened. "You're _kidding_!" 

Gwen shook her head. "Nope, I'm not. And in fact, the two guys we'll be dueling with today were both finalists in Battle City." She noticed Syne's ever-widening eyes and grinned a little. "Do the names "Yami Ishtar" and "Malik Ishtar" ring any bells with you Syne?" 

Syne bit down on a squeal. "You're serious Gwen?! Oh my gosh, this is so awesome! I'm actually going to _meet_ Yami and Malik Ishtar!!" 

"Mm-hm." Gwen said, nodding. "In fact..." She waved her hands over her head, and saw Hiro put his own hand up in acknowledgement. The two groups began weaving toward each other, and met just outside the main entrance to the grand stand. 

"Hi Gwen," Malik said in Japanese. "We were beginning to worry you couldn't find your friend." 

"Pffft..." Gwen said, waving her hand in front of her. "Right. Syne's always around somewhere at cons like these. Oh, speaking of Syne, you guys this is my good friend Syne Smith. She's the second best duelist in California, and one of my very best American friends. And this is her sister Alexi. ~Syne,~" she said, turning to the other two American girls and switching back to English. "~This is Hiro Kawigami, a very good friend of mine but a terrible duelist. And this is Malik, and Yami Ishtar.~" 

"~Nice to meet you.~" Alexi and Syne chimed, sticking out their hands in near unison. The three men just blinked at them until Gwen nudged Hiro with her elbow. Remembering the American custom, Hiro grabbed Alexi's hand and shook it. A brief nudge later and Syne was shaking Ishtar's hand as well. 

"~Very good, very good, you've all met each other.~" The same official from before walked up to them, carrying a Duel Disk in each arm. Malik and Ishtar were both still wearing theirs from the cosplay, and in fact the one Malik wore was the same one he and Ishtar had used in Battle City. The official handed one of the Disks to Gwen, who happily slid it onto her arm, and then looked over at Syne. "~I assume you'll be the forth duelist?~" When Syne nodded he gave her the forth and final Duel Disk. 

"~Now then,~" he said. "~If you'll please follow me... You two can go on in to the grand stand.~" he told Hiro and Alexi. "~We have front row seats reserved for you.~" The two nodded and headed into the quickly filling arena. Word had gone out, and everyone wanted to see this duel. Not only were two Japanese celebreties competing, but two of California's top duelists as well. (Not to mention the fact that Ishtar and Malik were both still dressed in their mostly-leather cosplay costumes, Syne was in a revealing Water Omotics costume, and Gwen was in a purple tuxedo. Can anyone say "fanservice"?) 

As the official led the four backstage, they each slid their decks into the slots on their Disks and flipped them on. They exchanged excited glances, each of them mentally preparing for the duel that lay ahead. The official (what the hey, we'll call him Stu) motioned for them to wait and then stepped through the door and into the arena. 

"~Ladies and gentlemen!~" Stu said loudly, the microphone pinned to his collar picking up his words and transporting them to the PA system. "~What you are about to witness will astound, confound, and amaze you. Four dueling legends go head-to-head in a grueling death match, where only one team of two can come out the victor. Even the duelists themselves don't know who they'll be paired with, this paper in my hand holds the names of the pairs. If our four duelists would plase come out as I call their names and take their positions next to their partners on opposite ends of the field. 

"~From Cairo, Egypt, more lately of Domino, Japan, finalist in the Battle City tournement, a weapons major at Tokyo University, let's give a big round of applause to Yami Ishtar!~" 

A nudge in the back from Gwen sent Ishtar out among screaming fans, wild applause, and many many flashbulbs. He chuckled weakly, waving and nodding to the crowds as he took his place at the south-west corner of the field. At least his hair was back to being blond now. While Gwen had been running around trying to find Syne he'd taken the opportunity to head into a bathroom and commendeer a sink to wash the temporary dye out of his hair. 

Stu continued his speech, reading off the next bit of info on his paper. "~Playing opposite his brother, also from Cairo, Egypt, but more recently of Domino, Japan, also a finalist in Battle City and a close friend of Yugi Moto himself, a journelism major at Tokyo University, let's get some clapping up for Malik Ishtar!~" 

Malik, with only a little prodding from Gwen, made his way out onto the field and took his place opposite his yami, grinning widely at the spirit. He said something in Arabic, and Ishtar frowned and spat something in return. This whole exchange was viewed with cheers and squeals by the crowd as Stu began his next oration. 

"~Playing together with Malik Ishtar and opposite Yami Ishtar, from San Fransisco, California, lately of Domino City, Japan, top duelist in California, 18th place in the National Duel Monsters Championchips and an English lit major at Tokyo University, Gwen Kennady!~" 

Gwen bounced out onto the field amongst wild cheers. She'd shed the tie and hat from her costume, but was still wearing the purple jacket and orange shirt with the purple slacks. Flashbulbs went off again, and Gwen waved happily to the crowd as she took her place next to Malik on the north-east corner of the field. 

"~And last but not least, playing with Yami Ishtar and opposite Gwen and Malik, from San Fransisco, California, second top duelist in California and long time friend and rival of Gwen, a creative writing major at San Diego University, Syne Smith!~" 

Syne ran out to stand beside Ishtar. The three gaijin-Japanese bowed to each other, and quickly Syne followed suit. They slipped their decks into the Duel Disk slots and waited for the holographic pods to set themselves up. Ishtar and Malik were grinning at each other cockily and yelling what had to be either insults or a bet of some kind (or possibly both) in Arabic. Gwen looked absolutely exstatic to be back on the dueling field after so long, and was grinning widely. Syne had a poker face firmly in place, but there was a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. 

"~All right duelsists,~" Stu said, and waiting for Gwen to repeat it in Japanese for the benefit of Malik and Ishtar. "~Battle City rules; sacrifice summon, direct damage, and deck master. Duelists please choose your deck masters.~" The four duelists shuffled through their decks, looking for their deck master monster. 

Gwen found hers right away. "~I choose Dunames Dark Witch!~" The metal-clad woman appeared next to her, her arms crossed indifferantly. 

"The Bistro Butcher!" Malik called his deck master as the blue-skinned chef appeared next to him. Thankfully the Duel Disks were advanced enough to recognise not only both Japanese and English cards, but spoken commands in both languages as well. 

"Dragon Seeker!" Ishtar's deck master hovered behind him, roaring at the opponants. 

"~Princess of Tsurugi!~" Syne's deck master appeared next to her, giggling a little behind her fans. 

"~Very well,~" Stu nodded. "~The deck masters have been chosen. I will now flip a coin, Gwen's call, on which team will go first.~" He pulled a quarter out of his pocket and flipped it. Gwen called it heads in the air, and it landed tails. "~Ishtar will make first move!~" Stu announced. "~Followed by Gwen, Syne, and Malik. The first team with one player to lose all their life points loses. Each duelist starts with 6000 LP. Duelists cannot be directly attacked unless neither partner has a monster on the field. Game start!~" 

Each of the duelists drew their first hand of cards. Malik frowned sharply, but was reassured by Gwen's triumphant grin at her own hand. Ishtar grinned widely in delight, and Syne made sure to keep her face neutral as she looked over her cards. 

Ishtar selected a card from his hand to play, shooting a feral grin at Malik as he did. "Let's do this." 

~*~

((Warning: This section of the chapter contains mild cursing, violence, and blood. You have been warned.)) 

There were about ten of them, lounging around the abandonned skate park. Several of them were smoking, and the ground was littered with beer bottles. Joey gulped quietly. There was no way this was going to be easy. But it was too late to back out now, they'd already spotted him aproaching and were climbing to their feet. 

Joey stopped about ten feet away from them as the Black Tigers fanned out in front of him. Frowning, he flicked his eyes over them, trying to pick out their leader. Ah, that had to be him, the one with the slutty brunette practically hanging off him. Jeez, no wonder Mai had insulted her. "I have a score to settle with Hisoka Watsuki." he said loudly, trying to watch all the gang members at once. 

The one who he'd guessed was leader stepped forward, prying the girl off him. "What business do you have with the leader of the Black Tigers? I don't remember ever seeing your ugly mug around here before, pup." 

Joey grimaced, trying to ignore the insult he'd almost come to expect. _'What is it about me that always screams dog?'_ he wondered. "My business doesn't matter." he said aloud. "I demand a fight from you, as revenge for someone you once killed." 

Hisoka, leader of the Black Tigers, sneered at him. "That's a good amount of people, pup. Why add your name to the list?" 

Joey growled at the man's arrogance. "I have no intention of losing." he said. "The honor of my girl demands I defeat you." Sure, it had been a long time since his and Tristan's old gang days, but he was pretty sure he could whip this punk easily, and without having to kill him. Heh, funny how Mai had suddenly become 'his girl' again. 

"Honor doesn't exist around these parts," Hisoka sneered, motioning for the rest of his gang to spread out and encircle the two of them. "And I'll be sure to deliver your body to this girl of yours as soon as I'm through." 

"We'll see." Joey said, clenching his fists and dropping into a fighting stance. Smirking, his opponant did the same. 

"Joey!" 

Joey half-turned to see Mai running up the street, Scott just behind her. The gang members moved forward to block their way, stopping them from getting close to Joey. "Ahhh," Hisoka said, shifting his eyes to Mai. "I think I understand now, I remember that face. So bitch, come to have your new dog fight for your old one?" 

"You shut _up_," Before Mai could answer or Hisoka could react, Joey ran forward and delivered a solid punch to the man's chin, jumping back before Hisoka could retaliate. 

"Mutt," Hisoka spat, wiping a trickle of blood off his lip. "That hurt." He leaped forward, swinging a fist at Joey. The blond ducked, and repaid in like. Very soon the two were a rolling ball of dust in the center of a circle of cheering, hooting gang members. Scott and Mai could only watch helplessly, as four of the biggest men had them surrounded. 

"Oh Joey..." Mai moaned. "How could you be so stupid?" 

"What's this all about, anyway?" Scott asked, wincing slightly as Joey got hit hard in the stomach. "Why's Joey fighting some gang leader?" 

"He thinks he can play hero!" Mai said. "This gang leader once killed... somone I knew, and Joey thinks he can get revenge for me..." She fell quiet, biting her lip as she watched the fight. She knew this would end in a death. She just hoped for her heart's sake that it wasn't Joey's. 

Joey found to his own surprise that he was enjoying this fight somewhat. It had been a long time since he'd gone all out like this, not since he and Tristan had once fought about Serenity, back before she'd been going out with Ryou. There was just something about the undisciplined feeling of swinging your fists that set Joey free in a way the strict orders of martial arts never could. He laughed as he got a good grip on Hisoka, driving his knee into the other man's gut. Hisoka grunted, but let himself fall forward, causing Joey to slam onto his back on the pavement, momentarily getting the breath knocked out of him. 

Gasping for air, Joey rolled out of the way as Hisoka tried to bring his booted foot down on the blond's head. Rolling to his knees, Joey remembered a move that Bakura had once taught him and lashed out backward with one foot, catching Hisoka by the ankles and throwing him to the ground. Spinning, Joey then leaped on top of the stunned gang leader, wrapping his hands around the man's neck. If he could just get Hisoka unconcious without having to really hurt him... 

Hisoka gasped as stars appeared in front of his eyes and his vision began to waver. He clawed at Joey's hands with no results. Weakly he reached for his last line of defence, a ghastly smile lighting his face. He slashed upward and Joey cried out, stumbling off of him. Hisoka climbed to his feet, laughing hoarsely and rubbing his neck. "_No one_ gets the better of Hisoka Watsuki!" 

Joey growled, holding a hand over his slashed shirt and trying to ignore the cries of Scott and Mai. The wound was shallow, but the matter still stood. He was at a major disadvantage now. That dirty rotten cheater! 

Hisoka had drawn a switchblade on him. 

~*~

Seto's eyes widened and he took a step back from the ghost of his former step father. "B-but you're - you're-" 

"Dead?" Gozenboru sneered, his voice echoing strangely amidst the wind and rain that beat down upon the house. "Yes, I suppose to you I would be. Unfortunately, you and I seem to be a lot alike Seto, neither of us know when to die!" He stepped toward Seto menicingly, cracking his knuckles as the elder Kaiba brother shivered in slight fear. Still slightly shocked at his step-father's appearance, Seto was unable o get out of the way as Gozenboru gave him a mighty shove, sending him backward down three flights of stairs to land in a cursing heap not twenty feet from where Mokuba, Lisa, and Rebecca still sat huddled on the couch. In spectral form Seto couldn't really come to any physical harm, but it still hurt like hell. The teenage ghost climbed to his feet, rubbing his pounding head as Gozenboru followed him leasurely down the stairs. 

The elder CEO cast a dismissive glance at the three mortals on the couch, then turned his attention back to Seto. "Twice now you've tried to do away with me boy, but each time I've come back! Eventually Seto, your luck will run out." 

"Well you know what they say," Seto said, setting himself for a fight. "Third time's the charm!" He charged Gozenboru, using the older man's great bulk against him and managing to knock him backward into a lamp, which fell to the ground with a crash. With a roar, Gozenboru regained his footing and leaped at him. 

On the couch, Lisa squeaked in fear as the lamp fell over, seemingly by itself. If they listened hard, it seemed almost like they could hear faint voices over the cacophony of the storm. Lightning flashed, and the three of them clung together in fear. "I-I see them!" Rebecca said in a high, fearful whisper. "Look, over there!" 

"I see them too!" Lisa exclaimed. "Oh Mokuba, Kebby-kun's fighting someone!" 

Mokuba nodded nombly, his hands balled into tight fists to keep them from trembling. He could see the two ghosts much better than either of the girls could, and what he saw had him scared. Gozenboru? Back again? And Seto was fighting him! There was nothing Mokuba could do except trying to calm the girls, a job he didn't relish. Why couldn't he help Seto fight? It wasn't fair! 

Lisa squeaked again in fear as Gozenboru managed to pin Seto spread-eagled against one of the walls. Seto kneed him in the groin and leaped out of the way, turning on one foot to deliver a kick to the back of Gozenboru's head. Both girls let out a cheer, even though Gozenboru was again struggling to his feet. The older man swung a heavy fist at Seto, managing to catch him in the side of the head. Seto stumbled and then fell to one knee as Gozenboru stood over him, a dark smirk on his ugly face. 

Seto wiped a trickle of blood off the corner of his mouth and stared up at his step father, his eyes defiant. "Why have you come back Gozenboru? Noa is no longer here, Mokuba is CEO of Kaiba Corp. I'm dead, although I choose to linger. Mokuba and I got over you a long time ago Gozenboru, you're no longer feared here. Together my brother and I can do anything, and that includes getting rid of you once and for all." 

Rising to his feet, Seto turned to look at his fifteen year old brother. Mokuba swallowed, knowing what he had to do. He pried Rebecca and Lisa off him and stood up from the couch, despite their loud protests. He stepped away and turned his back on them, leaving the two girls clinging to each other on the couch. He walked forward until he was standing next to Seto, facing Gozenboru. Even though he knew Seto was right, and he had to face his fear, he couldn't help that his knees knocked and his palms were sweaty. 

Gozenboru scowled at Seto. "No fear?" he asked haughtily. "Your poor little brother's shaking like a leaf. Why don't you go run off and tend to him Seto?" 

Seto's jaw tightened, but he didn't answer. Instead, he simply looked at Mokuba. The teen swallowed, then his eyes hardened in resignation. "Onii-sama's right." he said. "I'm not scared of you anymore, because I know Seto will always be around when I need him." 

Seto smiled softly and nodded, and took his brother's flesh and blood hand in his own transparant one. Together they turned to face Gozenboru and held out their free hands, almost as if they intended to try and Mind Crush the ghost. Instead, a bright light shone from their hands, striking Gozenboru square in the chest. The ghost screamed and dropped to his knees, and a second later he was gone. 

Gone for good. 

The light of love had barely faded from around them when Mokuba suddenly found himself glomped. Seto had faded back into the shadows in the corner of the room, watching with a strange expression on his face as his little brother was hugged enthusiasticly by both Lisa and Rebecca. However, unlike Lisa, who let go almost right away and turned her back on him, Rebecca held on. Mokuba returned the embrace as Rebecca babbled, almost giddy with relief. "Oh Mokie-kun, that was so scary! You beat the ghost or demon or whatever it was! You were _fantastic_!" Standing up on her tip-toes and probably surprising them both, Rebecca kissed him. 

Seto's eyebrows drew together in an expression something akin to sorrow. Since he and Mokuba shared a body, even if he wasn't currently in it, he could feel Mokuba's surprise and sudden happiness at being kissed. Seto groaned slightly, trying not to remember how it felt to be held, to be kissed, since he'd never have a chance to be loved again. The thought of love brought another bitter thought to Seto's mind as he watched his brother and Rebecca. Someday... someday Mokuba was going to get married and have kids of his own. Where would Seto be then? 

He sighed and dropped his head, letting himself fade into his soul room where he could at least lock the door and try to ignore what was going on outside. Mokie-kun. She'd called him Mokie. That had always been Seto's nickname for him. Mokuba's earlier words echoed bitterly in Seto's mind. 

_"I know Seto will always be around when I need him."_

Seto flopped down on the giant stuffed lion[1] that was in his soul room, burying his face in its mane. What if Mokuba _didn't_ need him anymore? 

~*~

Mako sweatdropped a little, wondering if this had been such a good idea after all. He'd called everyone he could think of who'd've been stupid enough to venture out into the storm, and most of them had since drunken themselves into oblivion. Rex and Weevil were in the corner giggling together like school girls, and Espa Roba was curled up on the couch sucking his thumb. 

Mako sighed and scratched the back of his head, debating whether or not just to throw them out and be done with it. 

~*~

"wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

Bakura glanced around nervously, wondering what that sound was. The white-haired man was standing at the bottom of the ski slope, rather amazed he'd managed to stay on his feet all the way down. Sakura and Kitty had been giving the group crash courses in skiing and snowboarding for the past two hours, with Amoura helping as best she could. Bakura frowned as the scream drew nearer. That really sounded like... 

"WATCH OUT YOU STUPID TOMB ROBBER!!!!!" 

...Yami. 

The ex-pharaoh was wobbling dramaticly, his arms waving in all directions as he attempted to keep his balance on the snowboard. Bakura groaned slightly as he realized Yami was coming right for him, and there was no way he'd be able to get out of the way in time. He debated knocking Yami out of the way with his ski poles, but then sighed, realizing that Tea probably wouldn't like having Yami out cold in the snow, and would most likely make Bakura drag him back to the cabin. Bakura sighed again and braced for impact. 

Ten seconds later Bakura spit out a mouthful of snow and drummed his fingers against the ground impatiently. "Yami, get off." 

"Believe me," the pharaoh grunted from his possition on top of Bakura. "I'm trying." He pushed himself to his feet, only to lose his balance and fall back on top of Bakura again, causing the latter of the two to curse at being flattened again. 

Yugi slid to a stop near them from his own trip down the slope, laughing a little at their predicament. "Guess that gives a new meaning to the words 'crash course', huh Yami?" 

"Urusai..." Yami muttered. "For once aibou, I think I really hate you." 

Yugi laughed, knowing his other was only kidding. Yugi had taken to his snowboard like a duck takes to water, and was already eager to head over to the specially designed area where snowboarders could learn and practice tricks. Kitty had already promised to teach him a few. Tea was doing pretty well on her skiis too, or at least she wasn't falling over nearly as many times as Yami and Bakura were. 

"Harumph..." Bakura snorted, finally able to get to his feet as Yugi pulled Yami off him. "I was not made to feel comfortable in snow. Snow is an unnatural phenominon, and should never have to be encountered." 

"Amen!" Yami exclaimed, slapping Bakura on the back and nearly sending him face-first into the snow again. Bakura wobbled precariously for a moment, but regained his balance. He turned to look at Yami, a strange gleam in his eyes. Scooping up a fistful of snow, he hurled a snowball Yami's way before the ancient spirit knew what was coming. 

"Ack!" Yami clawed at his face until the majority of the snow was gone. "You dirty tomb robber..." Eyeing Bakura, he started to grab a snowball of his own when he was hit again, this time from the back. Twisting around and trying not to fall over with his feet strapped to a snowboard, Yami's eyes widened in surprise. "Aibou!" 

Yugi grinned, already shaping another snowball in his gloved hands. "Sorry Yami! I couldn't help it!" He threw another snowball, this one impacting Bakura, who'd doubled over laughing at Yugi's sneak attack on Yami. 

"Hey!" Bakura yelped, brushing off the front of his coat. "All right you little pipsqueaks, this means war!" In one deft movement he bent over, unlocking the straps that held his boots to the skiis. Fortunately, these were the type of skiis where you locked your own boots onto them, not the kind where the boots were already fastened to the skiis and unable to come off. Shaking his feet free of the skiis, Bakura made another snowball and tossed it at Yugi. Seeing that Bakura could now move about freely, Yami hurridly bent over to free his own feet. In so doing he teetered for a moment, before falling over backward into the snow. Trying to ignore the way Bakura and Yugi were laughing at him, Yami sat up and managed to unlock his boots, climbing to his feet snowboard free. Launching a snowball at Bakura's unprotected back, Yami laughed and dashed away. Bakura and Yugi (who'd also pulled his feet off his board) chased after him, flinging snowballs back and forth. 

All at once, a snowball hit Bakura in the side of the head, causing him to yelp and hop around, franticly brushing the cold wet stuff away from his face and hair. He heard laughter from behind him and turned to see Amoura and Tea, who'd apparently heard the comotion and come to "help". Both girls were holding snowballs. Yugi, Yami, and Bakura froze, and as one adopted a classic "deer in the headlights" look before turning and running full tilt the way they'd came, Amoura and Tea on their heels. 

After being pelted with a few more snowballs, Bakura decided he'd had enough. Turning, he charged Amoura, catching her fully off guard. He tackled her, and together they rolled down a small hill and into a snow drift, laughing all the way. Bakura landed on his back, with Amoura on top of him. Their laughter faded as they stared at each other. Some of Amoura's hair fell into Bakura's face, and when she reached up to brush it away her hand lingured near his face, idly running her fingers down the scar on his cheek. 

Bakura felt as if his breath had been stolen away as he looked at her, so close... Reaching up, he caught her hand in his, their fingers intertwining. "Amoura, I-" 

"Shhh..." Amoura leaned forward, her breath warm on his face. Their lips had just barely brushed together when someone catcalled from above them. Blushing furiously, they jerked apart and sat up, looking up at Yami, Tea, and Yugi who were watching from the top of the hill. Yami was smirking, and it was apparently him who'd interrupted them. 

"Didn't know you had it in you, you dog!" Yami laughed, directing his comment at Bakura. 

Still blushing, the mortal tomb thief jumped to his feet. "Yami..." he growled warningly. Glancing around, Bakura's eyes suddenly lit up with a mischievious light. Running over to a nearby tree, he scooped up some snow from its base, all the time thanking Osirus that he was wearing gloves. Deftly forming it into a ball, he hurled it at Yami, crowing in triumph as he watch it splatter across the spirit's coat. 

Yami blanced as he glanced down at his coat. "TOMB ROBBER! How dare you hit me with a yellow snowball!" the enraged pharaoh took off after Bakura, who was cackling almost like he had back in the 'old days'. 

Tea and Yugi watched them run off among the trees, then shook their heads sadly and turned back to where Amoura was still sitting in the snow. They exchanged glances, then slid down the small slope to sit next to her. "Amoura, what's wrong?" Yugi asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

Amoura turned toward him, a dreamy grin on her face and a faint blush still visible on her cheeks. "Nothing at all Yugi-kun, nothing at all." 

~*~

Ishtar grinned as he looked over the cards in his hand. This was almost too perfect to be true! The Winged Dragon of Ra in his hand already! After Battle City the God Cards had ceased to hold as much power as they used to, and they were certainly no longer as dangerous, but they were still very formidable cards. Yugi had held onto Ra for a short time, but had given it back to Malik the same time he'd formally returned the Tauk to Isis. Malik, claiming he wanted to build his dueling skills without having to resort to a Kami no Cardo had thus turned Ra over to Ishtar. The blond yami chuckled darkly. Oh how his hikari would come to regret that... As far as Ishtar knew, Yugi and Yami still had Saint Dragon of Osiris, and Kaiba still had Obelisk. 

Moving his eyes to the other cards in his hand, his grin widened further as he selected several to put onto his Duel Disk. "I play a card face down, and I place a monster in defence mode. Turn end." 

Gwen, after relaying all this in English, drew a card for her own turn. She laughed out loud, leveling a cocky grin at Syne. "~Looks like you'll get beaten again, my friend!~" 

Syne smiled. "~We'll see. Make your move, Gwen.~" 

Gwen nodded sharply, turning her attention back to her cards. The one weakness in her deck was that it was made up mostly of magic cards. Luckily, while she'd had four magic cards in her hand to start and had just drawn a trap, she did have one of her monsters in hand, and it was one of her better ones. "~I lay two cards face down, and I summon Warrior Dai Grepher (1700/1600), in attack mode! Dai Grepher, attack Ishtar's face down card!~" The dark haired warrior materialized in front of her and slashed Ishtar's face down monster in two, sending his White Magical Hats to the Graveyard. Gwen grinned and snapped her fingers, ending her turn. 

Syne moved to draw her own card, and allowed herself a small smile as she saw what it was. "~I play a monster face down, and end my turn.~" 

Malik grinned as he drew a card, not so worried now about his terrible starting hand. Gwen's Dai Grepher wasn't going anywhere, and from what he'd seen of Gwen dueling in the past, she was a pretty good strategist (although not nearly as good as Yugi. She'd gotten her butt kicked in ten moves when she foolishly challenged him to chess). His face brightened as he looked at the card he'd just drawn. He didn't have any monsters under five stars in his hand, but this sure could help. "I set one card face down and end my turn." 

It'd come back around to Ishtar again, and he drew his next card. "Aha! Vorse Raider (1900/1200), attack mode! Destroy Gwen's Warrior Dai Grepher!" 

Gwen winced as Ishtar took a small chunk out of her life points before ending his turn. Frowning and praying for another monster card, Gwen drew a card. She let out a quiet sigh of relief. It wasn't a monster, but it gave her a chance. "~I play Pot of Greed.~" Drawing another two cards, she couldn't help but squeal in delight. Just what she needed! "~I play Maha Vailo (1550/1400), in attack mode, and I equip it with Horn of the Unicorn, which raises its attack and defence by 700 points! But wait, there's more.~" She grinned cheesily. "~In accordance with Maha Vailo's effect, I add another 500 attack points for every card equiped to it, bringing its points total to 2750/2100! Now, Maha Vailo, attack and destroy Ishtar's Vorse Raider! Ha! Beat that Syne!~" 

Syne frowned and glanced at Ishtar as she prepared to draw. The Egyptian was sputtering indignantly, most likely at the LP he was now missing. Either that, or at Malik, whow as laughing hystericly at his other. Syne shook her head and drew. She knew Gwen's deck almost as well as she knew her own, and now that Gwen had one of her Maha Vailos out they were in real trouble. 

"Hehehe..." Gwen giggled, grinning as Malik gave her a thumbs up. "Thank you Amoura! Never thought that card would be more appreciated..." 

Gwen: 5800   
Syne: 6000   
Malik: 6000   
Ishtar: 5150 

~*~

Duke groaned slightly and sat back in his chair, rotating his tired shoulder muscles as the con officials began to herd protesting kids away from the booth where he sat in preparation for closing down the con for the night. He'd spent the last three days playing promotional games, signing autographs, and having his picture taken with fans. He'd been alternatively glomped, tackled, hugged, and groped, and although he always got a buzz from the rush of the crowds, he was very glad that the week was half over. 

Standing up Duke stretched his arms over his head, working out the kinks that had developed in his back. And what a week it had been so far! While he'd been naively signing autographs, the Sailor Senshi had been in a nearly disasterous fight that Duke hadn't found out about until much later. It seemed that the Outer Senshi, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, were after something called the Talismens, and that they'd finally been found. Rei'd also said something about Sailor Moon being able to transform into a stronger form and one of their main enemies, the Witch Eudiel, being defeated. Duke hadn't even tried to understand, he'd just nodded in the appropriate places. He'd given up on even _that_ when Usagi showed up at the temple with a pink-haired little kid that looked a lot like her, who'd apparently just arrived the night before while Duke had been off enjoying the Kimono Festival with Minako on one arm and Makoto on the other. Then the attempted explanations got _really_ confusing, so Duke had just blocked them out altogether. 

He sighed and shook his head, wondering how in the world anyone could cope with so much weirdness in their lives and still appear mostly normal. Ryou, Yugi, and Malik sure seemed to manage it well enough. Duke was just glad his own life wasn't so stressed out and weird. Not that being good friends with a telepath, an ancient pharaoh, and a former psycopathic murderer didn't count as weird. 

"Duke! Hey, Duke!" 

Duke turned away from the booth he'd be occupying again the next day and grinned as Minako trotted up to him. She'd offered to meet him for coffee after the con finished for the day, and he'd happily accepted. Minako was a nice girl, and Duke was happy for a chance to get to know her better without her friend Makoto around. Sometimes the brunette could be just a _little_ too forceful, even if she was a good cook. 

"Hi Minako, ready to go? There's a really great coffee shop right near here. I figured we'd just head over there, since it's raining so hard." 

Minako nodded as the two of them headed for the door. "It's really strange how bad the weather's been lately. Usually we don't get monsoons this far north." 

Duke shook his head as he opened up the umbrella he'd brought with him and the two of them made ready to duck out the door. "It's not monsoon season Mina-chan. I don't know _what's_ going on, but it's not just here. I heard on the news that it's unusually hot in Africa, there hasn't been a cloud spotted for days anywhere in America, and snow storms are sweeping across the Alps. The whole world's weather is going to pot all of a sudden." 

Speech was made impossible then as the two of them dashed through the rain to the coffee shop which was, indeed, right across the street. They paused be the door to shake off the excess water and hang up their rain slickers before finding a table. Duke went to the counter to order coffee for himself and a smoothie for Minako, and a minute later brought them back to where Minako was sitting by the window, staring dismally out at the driving rain. They sat in silence for some minutes, sipping at their drinks, before Minako ventured to speak. 

"I wonder if this has anything to do with the Talismens being found? Sailor Pluto keeps talking about what's going to happen if Sailor Saturn, the last of the planetary senshi, gets found. According to her, Sailor Saturn could cause the world to end. Rei-chan's premonitions seem to point to Sailor Saturn's awakening, so maybe the weather is just preparing for the end of the ages." 

Duke looked thoughtful, absently wondering if the quiet, thoughtful girl in front of him was the same one as the hyper, boy-crazy blonde she was around her friends. In a way, Minako really reminded him of Gwen, and he silently vowed never to let them get together. "I don't think the world's going to end, Mina-chan." he said seriously. "Fate-sama would never stand for it." 

"Fate-sama?" Minako asked, puzzled. "That angel lady who showed up when you and Ryou were hurt? Who was she anyway, we never could get a straight answer from Ryou." 

Duke pursed his lips, wondering how to explain about the Elementals without saying too much about the Millenium Items. "Fate-sama's a goddess who's taken a special intrest in Ryou's life for reasons I can't say. She and her brother Time lead a group of gods and goddesses known as the Elementals, and we've encountered them quite a bit. It all balances out," he said, settling back in his seat. "Everything that happens has a counter-weight, even if it's in another dimention. Someone dies, then in another realm someone else has to die in an attempt to keep it all equal, if opposite at times. I don't think it's _possible_ for a world to just end without meaning the end of all the realms in a cataclysmic attempt to restore balance." 

"A goddess? You mean she's in every dimension at once?" Duke nodded, and Minako continued, "So what you're saying," Minako puzzled through Duke's semi-lecture. "Is that everything I do is reacted to in some way? Like the butterfly effect?" 

Duke nodded. "I've heard that theory. In fact, Bakura, Ryou's older brother, wrote a paper on it for high school a couple years ago. I think both of them, Ryou and Bakura, are firm believers in it, if only because they've met Fate." he chuckled. "But the theory is a good one. Okay, here's an example. I know a pair of brothers, Mokuba and Seto Kaiba. Of course, Seto's dead. You've probably heard that story." He waited for Minako to nod. "Well, in reality, he died because in another realm Mokuba was unjustly murdered. It had to balance out, even if it was unfair. Or so Fate-sama says." 

"Gosh... Doesn't that seem a little... ruthless?" Minako asked. 

"Not really, not if you think about it." Duke said. "Gods, Ryou'd a much better person to explain this than I am. _He_ understands it all. What do you think would happen if things tipped out of balance toward the darker side of life? Untold death and destruction, right? When that happens, war breaks out in an attempt to restore balance, people are killed, and all around nasty stuff happens. What about if it got tipped toward the light? You'd think that'd be good, but it isn't in the long run. Everything would be a utopia for awhile, but to balance it out some great evil would rise up to smash it all to pieces. Do you get what I'm saying?" 

Minako frowned whistfully, thinking of what had happened when she and the other Senshi had traveled in time to Chibi-Usa's future. That had been a perfect kingdom of light, and yes, an evil force had arrived to strike it down... She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think I do. You're saying that true euphoria only exists in a perfect state of harmony between good and evil." 

Duke nodded, grinning. "Exactly! You've got a pretty good grasp of philosophy for a sixteen-year-old." 

Minako blushed under the praise. "You really think so?" 

Duke nodded. "Yup! I don't think I could have had a discussion like that with anyone but Ryou, and he's always running off to save the world." 

"Which isn't as glamorous as it seems." Minako said sadly, staring off into the middle distance. "Duke, do you believe in pre-determined destiny? That our lives are all planned out before we're even born? That we have no way to change the path our lives are going in?" 

Duke sat back in his seat, seriously pondering the question, which surprised Minako slightly. If she'd asked any of her friends, particularly Usagi or Rei, they'd have given her an automatic two-minute speech about how we all have the power to change our destinies, blah blah blah. Duke was actually thinking about the question. 

"Well, I may be speaking from biased experience of course, but I do believe we all have a destiny to fulfill. That's not the same thing as pre-detemined destiny though, just gimme a minute to explain. Pre-determined destiny is when every single move, every decision, every step of ours is planned out by some High God sitting on a throne somewhere. No, I don't believe in that. What I _do_ believe is that we're all created for a purpose, but we all have our own choise on which path we take to fulfill that destiny. Like... Oh I dunno, we'll take Ryou as an example again. Maybe his destiny is to defeat the True Pharaoh we've been having run-ins with for the past year or so. There's a lot of different ways he could go about that, some more noble than others. He could defeat the Pharaoh in honorable one-on-one combat, or he could hire an assasin to knock the Pharaoh off. Both ways fulfill his destiny, but those are two very different ways of getting there, and he had the choice of which path he took. Do you undertand what I'm saying Mina-chan?" 

"I think so," she said, nodding and giving him a slightly sad smile. "It's just... I've been Sailor V since I was thirteen. It's practically all I can remember. There has to be more to life than being a super-hero. There's times I just wish I could forget all about the Dark Kingdom, the Moon Princess, and my powers. I just want to be a normal teenager. I want to be a model, a pop star! Is that too much to ask?" 

She looked almost ready to burst into tears, and Duke smiled gently. "Minako, you have your own destiny to fulfill. Maybe it's being a magical girl. Maybe it's not. And no matter what your destiny is, there's always alternate routes to get there." Standing up he left some money on the table to pay for the bill and leaned over to give Minako a soft kiss on the cheek before heading back out into the driving rain, leaving her alone with her thoughts. [2] 

~*~

"Come back here and fight like a man!" 

Bakura laughed at Yami's continued taunts, always managing to stay just one step ahead of the ex-pharaoh. Yami wasn't really mad, he knew, they were just chasing each other for the sake of the chase, as was almost always the case. Over the years the two had really become fast friends, although neither one would readily admit it. 

They were nearing the lodge now, and Bakura slowed down a little, allowing Yami to catch up with him. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" he asked, grinning a little as Yami socked him a fake punch on the shoulder. The shorter spirit nodded wordlessly, and the two headed for the lodge. Stepping inside, both sighed in thankfulness at the warmth. Taking off their coats, gloves, and scarves the two hung them up on a rack by the door and then moved to take seats near the fireplace. Nearby a long table was set up with a large vat of hot chocolate, several pots of coffee, and a couple plates of cookies for the skiiers. Yami settled down on a coach near the fire as Bakura went to collect some food. Technically Yami didn't need to eat, but he was able to, even in false form. 

He poured a cup of hot cocoa for Yami and a cup of coffee for himself, taking the time to load it down with creames and sugars until it was more sweets than coffee, just the way he liked it. He then put about a dozen or so cookies on a plate for himself and Yami to share. Somehow managing to balance all this without dropping it, he headed back for Yami. Sitting down next to the spirit, he set the food on the coffee table in front of them and handed Yami his drink. 

Yami nodded gratefully and sipped at the steaming cup, letting the drink and the warmth from the fire thaw out his frozen parts. The two sat in silence for some time, Yami in a half-asleep state and Bakura wondering how to broach the subject he wanted to talk about. Finally he decided just to say it. "Yami, why do you want to be mortal?" 

Yami blinked and sat up, turning to look at his white-haired friend. "What do you mean? Why do you think I want to be mortal?" he asked. 

Bakura sighed. "Don't get defencive with me, Yami. You and I have known each other for a long, long time," 

"Too long," Yami muttered. 

Bakura glared at him for the interruption. "And I've learned how to read you by now. What you said in Paris, about letting myself love again, for both our sakes. Is that why you want to be mortal? So you can love?" 

Yami looked down at the floor, idly tracing the pattern of the carpet with the toe of his boot. "I'm not sure, to be truthful. I think that may be part of it, but..." he shook his head. "The things Yugi does every day and takes for granted seem to strike me in the oddest ways. Brushing his hair, picking out his clothes, eating and drinking... They're all things you mortals do automaticly, but I never can." 

"You never could," Bakura corrected, and smiled at Yami's surprised look. "Think about it Yami. Four years ago you could only seperate from Yugi in a spectral form only he could see. Three years ago you could only stay solid for a few hours or so before you tired and had to return to the Puzzle. Two years ago anybody could see you, but if they touched you thier hands went right through. Last year you couldn't eat or drink. Now you spend almost all your time in false form. You hardly ever return to the Puzzle, and you eat and drink just like us mortals. And..." Taking advantage of the moment, Bakura grinned and slapped Yami on the back of the head, making his final point to the protesting pharaoh. "You felt that. Something big is going on Yami. You and Ishtar both are becoming more and more solid every day." 

Yami nodded, thoughtfully rubbing the back of his head where Bakura had hit him. "You're right, Bakura. Before, during, and even after Battle City Ishtar couldn't seperate from Malik at all, not even in spectral form, and now he's just like me, becoming more and more mortal..." He trailed off into silence and Bakura spoke up after a minute. 

"Not just that. I never wanted to say anything before, especially not with Malik or Ishtar around, but they're a lot... well, a lot _saner_ than they used to be." Yami shot him a glance that clearly said 'and you're one to talk?' but Bakura held up his hands in protest. "Sometime around the Locking Rituals, when I truly realized how much Ryou meant to me, something snapped deep inside. I no longer thought of him as just a landlord or a slave, now he was a friend... a brother. He's the one who really brought me back from the darkness of the shadows." He smiled fondly, thinking of his former hikari. "But Malik and Ishtar... Ishtar especially. When did he stop wanting to destroy the world?" 

Yami's eyes lit up in understanding. "Right around the time of the Locking Rituals, when he and I fought together against Kuroi Karasu." 

Bakura nodded, chuckling ruefully. "Fate-sama sure has a way with timing these things." Yami chuckled and nodded, and they sat quiet for a long few minutes, until Bakura abruptly got to his feet. "Well, ready to hit the slopes?" 

Yami groaned, and Bakura chuckled. "Come on, don't be such a wuss. It's actually kinda fun once you get the hang of it. Just don't crash into me again..." 

The two headed for the door, stopping by the coat rack to get bundled up again. They were just about ready to step outside when Bakura cursed suddenly, doubling over in pain. Yami cried out in alarm, and Bakura gritted his teeth as the pain passed, almost as quickly as it had come. Slowly he drew his hand out from where he'd instinctively clutched it against him, pulling the glove off as he did, and Yami gasped as he caught sight of Bakura's left hand covered in blood. "What in hell's name...?" 

Bakura just stared at his hand, his face grim. "Yami, gimme that cell phone Tea gave you for Christmas. Something's happened to Ryou." 

Yami looked shocked and nodded, fumbling in his coat pockets as Bakura grabbed a few napkins to wipe the blood off his hands, where there was, of course, no wound. As he sat back down Yami handed him the phone, and Bakura frowned in thought, recalling the number of Shaadi's cell phone, which he'd gotten from Shen before flying out for France. He knew Ryou was in Egypt, because he'd gotten an e-mail from him a couple days before, stating that he'd be going to help his dad on the dig. 

As the phone rang in his ear, Bakura's agitation grew until he was muttering curses under his breath. Yami winced at a few of the harsher exclamations. "You might not want to call Osiris-sama that, Bakura..." 

The ex-thief paid no attention whatsoever, and as soon as the phone was picked up, he began shouting various Egyptian curses over the phone. Yami sighed and tugged on his arm, trying to get him to calm down. Finally Bakura switched to Japanese, cussed the other person out a little more, and then went silent altogether, apparently listening to what the other person, presumably Shaadi, had to say. Then he shouted "Fate-sama's there? For the love of Egypt Shaadi, put her on!" 

Yami just sighed and shook his head, waiting for Bakura to get off the phone and give it back to him. When Bakura finally hung up, a worried expression had drawn his white eyebrows together into a scowl. "Your stupid priest has done something to my hikari, and if it isn't fixed soon I'm flying down to Egypt myself to do what I should have done 5,000 years ago." 

"Which priest?" Yami asked with some resentment, although he was already pretty sure which one. He was right. Mahaado. Yami shook his head in wonder. "Mahaado's still alive... I think you're right Bakura, we'll definately need to fly down eventually." 

"We?" Bakura asked, still scowling. Yami just gave him a penetrating stare, and Bakura's expression softened a fraction of a degree. The ex-thief sighed. "Thank you Yami. I just hope Ryou's all right..." 

"I'm sure he will be," Yami soothed, mentally reminding himself to tell Yugi, Tea, and Amoura to cheer Bakura up in any way possible until they found out about Ryou's condition. "He's gotten through a lot worse before." 

Bakura nodded tiredly, but Yami couldn't miss the single tear that shimmered on the pale man's cheek. "But before, I was always there to look out for him. Yami, I _should_ have been there! What am I going to _do_ if he... if he..." He couldn't go on, and buried his face in his hands. 

Not knowing what else to do, Yami sat down beside him and put an arm around the other man's shoulders, holding Bakura close as he cried. 

~*~

"This is all your fault pipsqueak!" Keith growled, vainly tugging at the chains that held him. 

"My fault?" Tristan asked, sitting up inside the small hut that was apparently shared by all male slaves, which at the moment consisted of Keith and himself. "How is it my fault?" 

"I'm not sure." Keith muttered. "But it is. Somehow." 

Tristan snorted and leaned back against the pillows that served as their beds. "So what are you doing here?" 

"Summer job gone horribly wrong." Keith said, scowling. "You?" 

Tristan sighed, and a slightly dreamy expression appeared on his face. "Miho came to visit some family of hers. She didn't invite me, but I know she wanted me to come along, I could see it in her eyes even as she told me to get lost." 

Keith looked at him, a semi-stunned expression on his face. "Man, are you ever clueless..." 

Just then the door to the hut opened and both Keith and Tristan jumped to their feet as two spear-weilding Amazons entered. One of them said something in Chinese, and both Tristan and Keith shook their heads to show they didn't understand. The one on the left frowned and then spoke in haulting Japanese. 

"Pointy Hair Man and Stupid American Man come with us. Matriarch not here, but Elder Council see you now." 

As the Amazons took hold of Tristan and Keith's chains, leading them like some sort of trained dogs on metal leashes, Tristan glanced over at the blond. "Pointy Hair Man?" 

Keith shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Better than calling you Mr. Puffy Pants....[3]" 

~*~

"I dunno... What would Fate-chan say if she knew we were getting involved with mortals?" 

**What could she say? _She_ "gets involved with mortals" all the time.**

"Good point. And I don't think the Child would like it very much if his brother-to-be got killed in such a fool idiotic quest." 

**Exactly. Now you're seeing it my way. Let's go.**

~*~

"JOEY!!!" Scott threw himself at the nearest of the gang members, only to be shooken off and glared at. "Come on! That's hardly fair! Joey doesn't stand a chance unarmed against a knife!" 

"Exactly." the teen leered, cracking his knuckles menisingly. Scott hissed and stepped back, his fists clenched in helpless anger. Mai put her hand on his arm, her eyes worried. "Scott..." Scott shook his head wordlessly, not knowing what else to do. He and Mai turned anxiously back to the fight, where Joey was desperately dodging knife thrusts made by the enraged gang leader. 

Hisoka, in all his years of fighting, had never been hit as hard as what Joey had hit him with. And even worse, this guy was working with, or for, that blonde girl of Kale's. Kale had been a well-loved and respected man, even being a gang leader, and there were quite a few people who had been mad at Hisoka for killing him, to say the least. He'd had several people approach and challenge him to fights on the basis of revenge for Kale. All of them had died, of course, but this one was putting up a good fight. Frankly, that had Hisoka pissed. 

Hisoka dove forward, and was rewarded as his knife struck a deep blow across Joey's side, causing the blonde to hiss in pain and fall to one knee, clutching at his bleeding side. Hisoka crowed in triumph, rearing back for the final thrust and ignoring the shouts of the blonde broad and the guy she was with, when all of a sudden a bright light struck him full in the face. He cried out and fell back a step, dropping his knife out of pure instinct and raising his hands to cover his eyes. All around him he could hear the screams of pain from his gang as they too were hit with the same piercing light. 

Squinting from between his hands, Hisoka thought he could make out two figures in the light. One of them was short and skinny, while the other was tall, though equally skinny. The tall one took a step toward Hisoka and raised something over his head. Even with the blinding light, Hisoka could plainly tell that it was a blade. Not the quick blades of the samurai or ninja, but a long, curving scythe that came only from nightmares. The figure took another step forward as if to bring down the scythe on Hisoka's head, and in so doing the figure's bulk blocked whatever was causing the light. For just an instant Hisoka could see the figure's face, and he screamed. 

The eyes were just empty sockets, burning with a cold blue fire and set in a grinning, bone white skull. Among the cowls of the black robe the figure wore, Hisoka saw Death. 

~*~

[1] _Why_ is there a giant stuffed lion in Seto's soul room? *shrugs* I have no clue, I just thought it'd be cute. *^^* He needs _something_ to represent the side of him that's still a child, and a stuffed Blue Eyes just seemed kind-of cliché. :p 

[2] *_* I'm a sucker for long theological/philosiphical debates. So sue me. Oh wait, don't, I'm saving my money for the next Rurouni Kenshin manga. :P Anyway, don't ask me where those theories came from, I just pulled them off the top of my head. Personally, I do believe in the Butterfly Effect (the theory, not the movie), and I also agree with Duke's version of Pre-Ordained Destiny. I'm not sure whether I believe in the Ultimate Balance Theory or not... I'm also a firm believer in the Theory of L-Space, but that's a much different story. *grins and ducks the flying objects Myotismon13 is probably chucking her way* 

[3] Mr. Puffy Pants - This is a joke between me and my little sister. She's ten, and she can't pronounce the Japanese names in most of the animes we watch, so she comes up with her own. *snicker* "Mr. Puffy Pants" is actually what she calls Inu Yasha. I couldn't help but put a reference in. *waves at her sister* Hi Kate! 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *__* *falls over in a frazzled bundle and starts twitching* 

Kaze: ^^; Don't mind her, she has semester exams Thursday and Friday, and Monday she starts at a new school almost four times as big as her old one, so she's a little wiped out at the moment... 

Bakura: *snorts* No wonder she got this chapter done, she's been using her writing to escape from the real world again... 

Kaze: *tentatively pokes SJ* Don't you have finals to be studying for? 

WSJ: Gaaaaaah... *pulls herself off the floor* Please don't remind me... *shuffles off to dig out her geometry book, only to discover she left it at school* ^o^ Oh well! No loss! *Bakura and Kaze sweatdrop* Let's see... Notes... The Duke chapter was probably my favorite to write this time, although I loved doing the two French chapters too. Sooooooo sorry this took so long! I actually had it done a couple days ago, but my internet's been all screwed up. *bashes computer* It would have been fixed last night, but daddy got home from work too late to call the internet company to see what he has to do to fix it. -_-; Oh well, it's done now. :p Ciao! Watch for the next chapter of _Hot Sands, Warm Arms_, as well as a new one-shot about Ryou called _The New Kid_, which should be coming soon! Ta ta! *grumbles as her dad makes her go study for her English exam* 

**Chapter 11:** WSJ: (V/O) Well, we're just about caught up to where we last left Ryou, but we've still got a couple events to go. For instance... 

Mai: *screams as Joey collapses in her arms* 

WSJ: (V/O) And... 

Amoura: Bakura, come skiing vith me. I vant to talk to you. 

Bakura: *doesn't notice the gathering snow clouds overhead* Okay Amoura-chan. 

WSJ: (V/O) And also... 

Ishtar: *laughs harshly as he raises a card over his head* THIS IS YOUR DOWNFALL!! 

WSJ: (V/O) Past, present, and future collide when the Sailor Senshi battle their toughest enemy yet, and of course Duke's oblivious. There's snow in the air and blood on the ground in the next chapter of Home Sweet Home! 

God bless minna-san! 


	11. What Lies in the Past

Bakura: -_-' And once again, she's writing when she should be studying... Do I sense a trend? 

WSJ: ^^; I dunno. :p Well everyone, this is just sort of a filler chapter, hinting at things to come, boosting my word count, and giving me a way to cope with stress. :p Because I really, _really_ want to get on to the next chapter, in which I get to write a whole smear of fluffy angst. *^_^* 

_On Kate and her Japanese:_ *chuckles* As I hinted, "Mr Puffy Pants" isn't the only alternate anime name my sister uses. :p Kagome is "Sailor Moon Girl", probably because of the uniform. Koenma (from Yu Yu Hakusho) is "The Toddler" (gee, he'd love that...), and Kuwabara (also from YYH) is "Idiot Man", a name I often use for him too. ^^ Kuwabara die!!!!! *koff* Also, for unknown reasons, Kate persists on calling Trowa "Trio", even though I know she can pronounce Trowa. *shruggie* 

Bakura: *pokes her* What's the difference between a correletive and a subordinate conjunction? 

WSJ: *immediately falls over and begins foaming at the mouth* AHHHHH!!!!!! GRAMMAR!!!!! (Don't ask, exam joke. ^^; ) 

Bakura: -_-; WSJ doesn't own YGO, or Sailor Moon. Syne and Alexi aren't hers, and neither are Amoura, Lisa, and various others. However, Gwen - *stops* Do I smell popcorn? 

WSJ: *rolls eyes* It's my dad. *tries not to gag* I HATE the smell of popcorn!! *runs off to find a nose plug* 

Bakura: *rolls eyes heavenward* Kami-sama help me... Roll fic! 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home! 

Chapter 11 -- How It Used To Be... 

_Quote of the Fic: _

"And now I run to you, crazy fool.   
What made you think you could win this duel?"   
~(Day Star; **Whatever**) 

Dedication:  
For Kat-chan  
I miss you already!! 

((This section inspired mainly by _You Oughta Know_, by SerenaArythusa. If you're a Yami Bakura fan, I highly recommend you go read it.)) 

Neither was really sure how long they sat there, but finally Bakura took a shuddering breath and pulled away from Yami, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve. "God, that was embarrassing..." he muttered. 

Yami looked at him, a concerned expression on his face. "Bakura..." 

Bakura cut him off. "It's all right Pharaoh, really. And if you mention that to _anyone_ I swear I shall rip your head off." 

Yami chuckled dryly. "Now that sounds like the Bakura I know," he trailed off. "Bakura, if you want to talk..." 

Bakura took a deep breath, and then nodded. "Yeah, I do. But not here. Let's go back to the cabin." 

Yami nodded, and the two of them went outside. The walk back to the cabin was silent, and they were so lost in their own thoughts that neither one even thought to complain about the snow. Yami collected several logs from the woodbox by the door on the way inside, and he started a fire in the fire place while Bakura stood by the window, just staring out at the snow with an unreadable expression on his face. Once the fire was hissing and popping on its own, Yami came to stand next to Bakura, silently watching the slightly older Egyptian. It had been something of a surprise, really, to discover Bakura was older than him by almost two years. But actually, once you thought about it, it made a certain amount of sense. At the time that they'd been sealed into the Items, Bakura had been twenty-one, and Yami barely nineteen. 

And it was coming around again, Yami realized with a slight start. Bakura had taken to celebrating his mortal birthday the day after Ryou's, on September the third. This year, in little more than a month, in fact, Bakura's physical body would be turning twenty-one, forever a year older than his little brother Ryou's. Yami was started out of his reverie when Bakura spoke. 

"Ah, and so here we are again Pharaoh, with people we love dying just out of our reach." 

Yami looked up at him, a curious expression on his face. "What do you mean, just out of our reach?" 

Bakura laughed mirthlessly, making Yami shiver slightly. This didn't go unnoticed by the other man. "So you fear me still Pharaoh, even if you don't know it? Tell me, what went into the making of that precious trinket around your neck?" Reaching down he carressed the gold of the Puzzle until Yami jerked it out of his hands, causing Bakura to laugh again. "Gold and magic? Is that what you think? Is that really all? Whoever told you that was a liar." 

His demeanor suddenly changed, Bakura turned away. "Did you ever study much poetry, Pharaoh? Ever write much? No? It's a shame. Puting words on paper can be a wonderful sourse of release." Leaning against the windowsill, his breath clouding the snowfall outside, he spoke quietly in Egyptian, so quietly Yami had to strain to hear him. The former grave robber spoke whistfully of a time and place so long ago, and suddenly Yami understood. 

"(So many precious things,   
So many precious people.   
Not all can stay within your grasp,   
But once out of your arms it fades away...

Like they all did, so long ago. 

Ninety-nine mortal sacrifices,  
Just one small village of slaves.  
Never missed, never remembered, not in the history books,  
The priests justified it.

'For the good of the kingdom.'

A ring and a rod,   
A pyramid and life eternal,  
The scales on which to weigh your life against your gods.  
An eye of gold and a simple necklace...

For this my family was gone...

Mother knew and sent us away,  
So we'd escape and wouldn't see.  
But we came back too early,  
My brother and I,

We hid in the rubble,  
We somehow escaped the priests' bloodied swords.  
And I covered his eyes,  
So he wouldn't have to see...

But _I_ saw it all...)" 

Yami, his eyes wide, found himself blinking back sudden tears. "Kuru Eruna... Simon told me about it, but he never went into any detail... He told me that it was an invasion of Assyrians that had wiped them out. Oh _gods_ Bakura..." 

Bakura went on, still speaking in Egyptian though not in poetry, as if he hadn't heard the Pharaoh. "(Mother was a slave at the palace. She over heard Akunadin talking. She knew she couldn't stop it, but she sent Jonathon and I away so we'd escape. We escaped the sword, but not the screams... Oh Osiris... Their screams still haunt me, five thousand years later... It was my _family_! And the priests thought no one would care, simply because they were _slaves!!_)" Bakura's fists clenched in anger, still glaring out the window at some indeterminable point in the distance. 

"(And Jona... Even if he was older than me, he was always the smaller of us. He - he heard mother beg for mercy, and he tried to run out of our hiding place... I had to hold him down. I couldn't lose him too, not after... not while...)" Bakura's face took on a haunted look, his eyes blinking although there were no tears to shed. "(The priesthood... It was all the cursed priesthood's fault! They didn't care about one insignificant village if it helped the entire kingdom! But by Anubis, _I cared_! That was the day I swore I'd never let any of them reach the afterlife, not after they denied my family and friends that privilege! Is _that_ what they taught you Pharaoh?)" Bakura snarled, rounding suddenly on the startled Yami, who backed away as quickly as he could. Bakura had a strange, hunted look in his eye, and Yami knew Bakura wasn't seeing him as he knew him now, but as he'd been all those years ago, little more than a spoiled palace brat. 

"(Is that what they told you, that it was only the royal and the powerful that deserved the afterlife, that the slaves and commoners didn't matter? Did they teach you not to care, _Pharaoh_, when a slave died, because there was always another to replace it? Don't deny it! You were just a weak and foolish boy, manipulated at every turn by your precious _priesthood._)" Bakura spat the word like a curse. "(And now those same "servants" of yours have done something to _Ryou_. Is nothing sacred?! Am I to be fighting them all my lifetimes for the sake of my brothers?! Am I to send Ryou to the Shadow Realm too, so at least he can have something of an afterlife, instead of being thrown unceremoniously into an unknown grave?)" 

Yami's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Jonathon! _That's_ why you-" 

Bakura cut him off, almost screaming at Yami by this time. And yet still, his face remained dry. All his tears had been shed long ago. "(_Yes_ that's why! He was a slave! You wouldn't have cared, _no one_ would have cared to embalm him when he died. No one would have made sure he was well favored in the eyes of Osiris. No one would have shown him the paths of the dead which led to Paradise. No one... no one but me, and I was already on my way to my own death. I _knew_ I would never have my chance at the afterlife, but Jona... I had to give him something, at least...)" Bakura laughed mirthlessly again. "(And how was I to know that my punishment for my railings against the priesthood would be not imprisonment, not an afterlife-less death, which would have been welcome, but instead to be bound for eternity to one of the gold baubles which _my people_ had been murdered to help create! And the priesthood...)" Bakura's face darkened, and his fists clenched tightly. "Yami, I swear..." he said in Japanese, his voice low. "If Mahaado has made me lose my brother again..." 

He turned away suddenly, his shoulders hunched. Yami, still frozen in shock, simply stared at him for several long, aching minutes. "Bakura... I - I never knew..." 

"Of course not, palace brat." 

Usually the insult would have provoked Yami into a fit of rage, but after Bakura's tirade it only brought sorrow. The insult was fitting, he _was_ just a palace brat, ignorent of what went on in his own kingdom... He shook his head sharply. No. He _had been_ a palace brat, but now he was Yami, Yugi's aibou, and Bakura's friend. No longer was he Prince of Egypt. 

Stepping forward, he hesitantly put a hand on Bakura's shoulder. "Bakura... I can't answer for the wrong-doings of my priests. I can't atone for the mistakes of my father's priests, or my father. But for what it's worth... what they did was not _ma'at_[2], and I'm sorry." 

Bakura turned until he was facing the former pharaoh, his eyes hollow and a tired look on his face. "Then I thank you... my friend." [1] 

~*~

Mai and Scott watched in wonder as most of the gang ran screaming from the two imposing figures that had suddenly appeared in their midst. Neither of them saw the blinding light, but they certainly saw the two Elementals who had seemingly stepped out of thin air to stand on either side of Joey. 

Death stepped forward, a long, bony hand reaching for Hisoka. The gang leader gasped and dropped his switchblade, his mouth moving soundlessly as he backed away from the black-robed figure. Death stepped closer, and closer, until Hisoka was backed up against the wall of one of the buildings that lined the skate park. Death leaned over, his seven foot frame seeming to fold in on itself so he was face to face with Hisoka. 

**Boo.**

Hisoka's eyes widened further, and then rolled back in his head as he slumped bonelessly to the ground, his mouth still open in a silent scream of terror. For a moment Death stood over him, and then the god turned toward where Joey was on his knees, Passion kneeling worridly next to him. Sensing the other Elemental's gaze, Passion looked up to meet Death's eyes and slowly shook her head. "I can't heal him, his wound's too deep." 

Hearing her voice, Joey raised his head just as Mai and Scott came sprinting up to them. The blond had his hand clasped tightly over the wound in his side, every ragged breath causing blood to bubble up between his fingers. If he noticed teh replica Ankh around her neck, or the Tauk that dangled from Death's wrist like a bracelet, he gave no sign. "Who are you?" he asked, tearsof pain clouding the corners of his eyes. 

"I am Passion," Passion said, ignoring the amazed and confused looks that Scott and Mai were giving her. "We were sent here by Fate, to make sure you lived through the day. Joey Wheeler, you're a very foolish man, taking on a man like Hisoka armed only with your fists." She cocked her head, as if listening to something, her uneven orange hair twitching in a wind none of the others felt. "I believe some of those that escaped have summoned the police, so Death and I shall take our leave." 

"Wait," Scott said, glancing toward Hisoka's body. "Is he..." 

**He is not dead.** Death said, causing the three mortals to shudder slightly at the sound of his voice. **Just driven to insanity. He will not hurt anyone else.**

"Thank you," Mai said quietly. She was kneeling on the ground, her face streaked with grime and tears, Joey half on her lap. The blond had passed out and his hand fallen away, and Mai was pressing a handkerchief against his wound to try and stop the blood loss. It was, indeed, a very deep wound, but probably not life threatening. "If I'd lost Joey too..." She shook her head and lowered her gaze, totally missing the soft smile that graced Passion's features. 

"You're welcome, Mai Valentine." she said, bowing slightly. "We will take leave now. Be on guard, all of you. Friends of the Child of Fate have their fair share of enemies." 

Giving them no chance to ponder her words, Passion sketched a circle in the air, which solidified into a shimmering portal. Death, wordless as ever, stepped through without a backward glance. Passion gave the trio an encouraging smile, and then followed the Tauk God, the portal closing silently behind her. 

~*~

Syne breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She and Ishtar weren't out of the woods yet, but this was a start. "~I play the Swords of Revealing Light, trapping your monsters for three full turns. I also play another monster in defence mode. Turn end.~" 

Malik drew a card next. "I play a monster in face down defensive, and end my turn as well." 

Ishtar was grinning like a fool. This duel would be well over as soon as there were enough cards on the field to summon Ra. But until then... "I also place a monster in face down defence position. Turn end." 

"Jeez, boring lot, aren't you?" Gwen asked in Japanese, drawing her next card. She contemplated it a moment, then shrugged and placed it on her Duel Disk. "I summon Witty Phantom to the field, and I equip him with Sword of the Deep Seated, which raises his attack and defence points to 1900/1800. Though of course, with Swords of Revealing Light in play I can't attack. Turn end." 

Syne frowned slightly and drew her next card. Playing her Swords might not have been a good idea, it was giving Gwen too much time to power up her monsters. Gwen's major strategy was to put out high-attack four star monsters, and then beef them up even farther with magic cards, which resulted in near-invincibility. Syne glanced down at the card she just drew. It was Shield and Sword. That would come in really handy later, if Gwen happened to bring out one of her high-attack/low-defence monsters, but for now it wouldn't do much good. Glancing over the rest of her hand, Syne selected another of her magic cards to play. 

"~I activate Final Flame!~" 

Malik cursed and Gwen squealed in surprise as the holographic flames sprang up around them, burning through 600 of their LP. Brining his arms down from where he'd instinctively raised them to protect his face, Malik drew his next card and nearly laughed. "I play Raigeki!" 

Ishtar cursed violently in Egyptian as the three monsters from their side of the field were destroyed, but Syne started laughing. "~I activate my deck master's special effect! Princess of Tsurugi allows me to subtract 500 LP from both your life points for every monster sent to the graveyard due to magic or trap card! Which means...~" She laughed again as Gwen's and Malik's LP both went down by 1500. "~I'll beat you yet, Gwen!~" 

"~We'll see Syne, we'll see...~" 

Gwen: 3700   
Syne: 6000   
Malik: 3900   
Ishtar: 5150 

~*~

When Amoura, Yugi, and Tea returned to the cabin a couple hours later, Yami was outside waiting for them. The pharaoh cast a glance back over his shoulder at the closed door of the cabin and quickly drew his three friends closely around him. "Listen, Bakura and I have had a rough afternoon." 

"Did zomething 'appen to Bakura?" Amoura asked, alarmed. 

Yami shook his head, putting a hand on the French girl's arm reassuringly. "No, no, nothing like that, but..." he dropped his voice lower. "We found out that something happened to Ryou in Egypt, and he's hurt pretty bad. Bakura's been depressed all afternoon, moping around the cabin. He won't listen to anything I say, and he's convinced that Ryou's dying while he's stuck here, a continent and a half away." He didn't mention what he'd learned about Bakura's past. That was Bakura's own business, and if he chose to tell the others then that was okay. It wasn't Yami's place to reveal it. "Do you think you could help cheer him up a little?" He cast a significant look at Amoura, who nodded. 

Turning, the four of them headed inside. Tea and Yugi ran immediately to Bakura, who was sitting on the couch and staring into the fire with a meloncholy expression on his face. Yami drifted after them, and Amoura hung back by the door. "Oh Bakura," Tea said, dropping to her knees in front of him. "Yami just told us about Ryou. He'll be okay, he's pulled through before." 

"I'm not exactly in the mood for a friendship speech, Tea." Bakura said, heaving a deep sigh. "Not tonight." 

Tea looked slightly miffed, but she knew what Bakura ment. Yugi gave the white-haired man a sympathetic glance and a brief squeeze on the shoulder as he passed, which Bakura didn't bother to acknowledge. The Motos and Tea retreated to the opposite corner of the cabin, where a small kitchen was located. They began to make a light dinner, more hindered than helped by Yami, and after awhile their laughter drifted into the other parts of the cabin. 

"Bakura?" 

Bakura looked up to see Amoura standing next to him, still in her coat and mittens, her scarf partway unwound and falling across her shoulders. He blinked at her for a moment, as if not recognising her, and then scooted over so she could sit with him on the couch. She shook her head wordlessly and put a hand on his arm. "Bakura, come skiing vith me. I vant to talk to you." 

Bakura took a deep breath and started to protest, but Amoura pulled him to his feet. "Please?" He stared at her, unable to resist those big, doe brown eyes of hers, which currently reflected the firelight in a way that left him short of breath. 

"All right," he finally said. "Let me get my coat." 

"Yay!" Amoura said, hugging him impulsively. She ran into the kitchen to tell the others they were going out for one final run before it got dark. From where he stood by the door tying on his scarf, Bakura could hear Yami warn her that the radio had said a snowstorm was on its way through. She waved off his cautions and came flitting back into the room, grabbing her skiis from where they rested against the wall of the cabin. Bakura's had already been returned to the rental shop, so they'd have to stop by on their way through to get another pair. 

Bundled up, they headed outside and down the small hill toward the lodge and the rental shop next to it. Despite his worry over Ryou, Bakura felt his worries slipping away in the gentle snow fall and the setting sun with Amoura by his side. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" 

"Hush," she said playfully. "I'm not telling you until ve get to vhere ve are going. Zen I vill tell you." 

She spoke to the man behind the rental counter in French, and he nodded. A moment later he handed her a pair of skiis, and she thanked him while passing them to Bakura. 

The tomb robber frowned. "Amoura, these are the kind with the boots already locked on to the skiis. I don't like this kind." 

Amoura shrugged as they sat down together on a nearby bench to put on their skiis. "I'm zorry Bakura, but zat vas all 'ee 'ad." 

Bakura sighed. "It's just one run, I'll survive." 

But little did he know that this one night would almost make him eat his words. 

~*~

Madame Amanda Letazaut bit her lip as she watched the continuing news coverage of the rather heated debates between France and Japan. The French kept accusing the Japanese of terrorism, and of course the Japanese denied any involvement, which the French didn't believe at all. On top of that, since the sketchy description that had been given was that of Yugi Moto, a well-known Japanese celebrity, the media was eating it up, already terming it 'The Scandal of the Year'. 

"Would Monsieur Moto be avalable to make a statement?" the French Prime Minister asked through a translator. 

After checking with his aides and whispering urgently with him, the Japanese shook his head. "No, it seems Moto-san has completely vanished, although contact established with friends of his confirm that he was in France at the time of the... act, although all said friends strongly deny that he would do anything of that nature. Apparently he was staying at the home of Amoura Letazaut, who has also vanished." 

The Frenchman frowned and nodded, shuffling through his own notes. "By testimony of Mademoiselle Amoura's grandmama, Monsieur Moto and several of his friends were staying there over the summer, but left two days ago for Switzerland for a skiing trip. Further more, she denies Yugi Moto had any part in the incident, although the description of the man who attacked the ambassador's daughter fits him perfectly. Wouldn't you say that seals his guilt? Who could mistake that hair?" 

Madame smiled thinly. That had been a very tricky statement to put together, but it was indeed true. _Yugi_ had had nothing to do with it. No one asked about brothers. Strange though, that no one seemed to know about Yami. She'd have to ask the two of them about it later, when they got back from Switzerland. At least, provided they didn't get arrested as soon as they stepped across the border... 

The Japanese man sneered. "If what you are saying is true, then Letazaut-san must have been lying when she said he wasn't involved. Are you so quick to condemn one of your richest widows?" 

Madame snorted. 

The Prime Minister looked uncomfortable. "Well now, that is an entirely different matter! Monsiuer Moto is a close friend of her granddaughter, and Madame would not want Mademoiselle Amoura in trouble with the law at such a tender age. I am sure she said that only to protect her granddaughter, who, as I said, disappeared into Switzerland with the rest of the guests and Monsiuer Moto." 

"Is it possible Mademoiselle Amoura was kidnapped?" "In your opinions, how was it that such a short man as Mr. Moto was able to spray graffiti twenty feet up the side of the Arc?" (Hey, that's a good question...) "Is it true that Madame has been blackmailed into defending them?" "Have you identified the other guests?" reporters shouted from the background. The two politicians glanced at each other to see who would step up to answer the questions, if at all. Finally, the Japanese representative answered the last of the questions reluctantly. 

"The other two guests have been confirmed as one Yami Destin Bakura [3], suspected to be romanticly involved with Amoura Letazaut, and the other is Tea Gardener, confirmed girlfriend of Moto-san. There also seemed to be a third guest, but he was unable to be identified conclusively." 

Madame snickered. Bakura and Amoura certainly wouldn't like their blooming romance to be aired on national television. Good thing she was taping it so they could watch later on. But here was that same puzzle again. Why did no one think of Yami? The Moto brothers had a lot of explaining to do... 

Standing up from the couch, Madame made her way to the west window, where she shook her fist in the direction of the Swiss Alps. 

"You'd better all come back in one piece, you hear me?!" 

~*~

[1] - Whoo! Lots of Egypt-ness! :p So we finally get a look at Bakura's past. ^^ And what a past it was, too. In all actuality, a good part of that was canon. According to Kazuki Takahashi, Atemu (that would be Yami for those who haven't read the latest manga scans) ruled sometime during the Eighteenth Dynasty, most likely near the end. Ramases II, considered by most to be the pharaoh of Moses's Exodus, was the second king of the Nineteenth Dynasty. According to the Bible, the Hebrews had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years at the time of the Exodus, which puts the time of their enslavement sometime in the middle of Dynasty 16. Therefore, there _would_ have been slaves around in Yami's Egypt, and since they'd been there for over 350 years already, it seems very likely they would have set up their own villages. There very well could have been a small, insignificant Hebrew village called Kuru Eruna. :p Or at least, it works for our purposes... 

[2] - Maat was the Egyptian goddess of truth and justice. When used as a noun, ma'at, it means the concept of good vs. evil. So Yami was, in essence, saying that what his priests did was wrong, or very not right. :p Gotta love those ancient religion classes. 

[3] - *snickers* And so we find out Bakura's middle name. It's French (surprise, surprise) for destiny or fate. *snickers again* 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *sighs deeply* Yeah yeah, I know, no Duke, no Tristan and Keith, and it was really lame and REALLY short, but I'm dying to get on to the next chapter! *wiggles in her seat* Fluff ahoy!! 

**Chapter 12:** WSJ (V/O): Next time, on Home Sweet Home! 

Yami: *yawns and snuggles down between Tea and Yugi* 

WSJ: (V/O) A snow storm rages through the Alps, dumping nearly four feet of snow and leaving the Motos and Tea snowbound. 

Yugi: *pokes at the fire in the fireplace* You know, it's reall ironic, being snowed in in the middle of July... 

WSJ: (V/O) Unfortunately, Bakura and Amoura aren't nearly so warm and dry... 

Bakura: *shivers and hugs Amoura closer to him so they can share warmth* 

Amoura: *whispers* Bakura, are ve going to die? 

Bakura: I don't know 'Moura, I really don't know... 

WSJ: (V/O) It's a particularly snowy chapter when we travel to Switzerland for another extra-long, single-group special! Ja until then! 

God bless minna-san! 


	12. Blood and Snow: A Revelation of Love!

WSJ: *cackles* 

Bakura: 0_o; .....Oh help..... 

WSJ: *throws her head back and downs another Pixi Stick, then tosses the wrapper over her shoulder to join a pile of others behind her* 

Amoura & Bakura: *gulp quietly* 

Ryou: *blink* SJ, how late were you up last night? 

WSJ: *smiling dreamily and wavering back and forth, as if in a drunken stuppor* 'Til about two. Kat-chan and I stayed up late watching Spirited Away and Daddy Day Care. *giggles* I think the Pixi Stix are the only things keeping me going... 

Bakura: *looks up at the ceiling* Osiris take me now... 

Amoura: -__-; Roll fic! 

Disclaimer: I don't... aw heck, y'all know the drill! On to the fluff! 

Muse-ic of the Moment: the Quest for Camelot soundtrack, especially _On My Father's Wings_ and _I Stand All Alone_. :D LOVE that movie! *snuggles Garret* 

WSJ: *comes running through, screaming at the top of her lungs* HCG!!!!!!!!!!! You can't do that to Kaaaaaazzeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Bakura & Amoura: -__-; Ignore her. Please. 

**Ky and Katana:** *blushes* I'm flattered! Of course you can borrow them, just make sure you give me credit! And make sure you let me know when they go up, I'd love to read them. ^_~ What I really meant was people who review something like "You're the best writer! E-mail me! My e-mail is blahblahblah!" I have no time to e-mail people who ask me to. I understand that you guys can't. I was like that for a long time too, so don't feel bad. ^_~ Your dad's just being safe. 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 12 -- Blood and Snow: A Revelation of Love! 

_Quote of the chapter:  
(There's two, because I couldn't bare to choose between them. :p)_

"The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning."   
~(Ivy Baker Priest)

"One would think you'd be bored of trying to kill yourself by now."   
" Mm, yes, but it turns out that it's fabulously fun. Who knew?"   
~(Bakura and Ryou; DarkGatomon, As If!) 

"Amoura, where are we going?" Bakura asked, curious. They'd been out for almost twenty minutes, but Amoura seemed to be leading them in circles. Then again, to Bakura all the snow-covered trees looked the same. 

Amoura smiled, glancing over at him as the two skiied along, side-by-side. "Ve're going to a place my father and I discovered, when we used to come here as a family, ven I vas really little. It's very beautiful, you can see for miles! Only he and I knew the way..." She looked sad, and Bakura bit his lip, remembering that Amoura's father was dead. From what Gwen had said, it was only a year or two ago that he died, too. 

Something wet slid down his collar, and distracted he glanced up at the sky. "Amoura, it's starting to snow harder, we should turn back soon." 

"I know," Amoura agreed. "But it is only a little farther. Bezides, I 'ave not been up 'ere since the last time we came, before Julien was born and before papa died..." she winced a little as she said it, and Bakura swallowed his further retorts. Ten more minutes out in the snow wouldn't hurt him. 

They skiid on, their slightly longer cross-country skis making soft _swish_ noises in the powdery snow. After awhile Bakura realized they were going ever so slightly uphill. "Amoura," he panted, "Are you sure this is the way?" 

The French girl nodded decisively, then turned back to smile and point forward with one of her ski poles. "It is right through zose trees. Come on. Zee view is amazing." 

Sure enough, there was a small gap in the seemingly solid wall of pine trees off the path ahead of them. Leaning her ski poles against one of the trees, Amoura shuffled herself through. Once she was clear, Bakura followed, ducking his head to avoid the low-hanging pine broughs. When he straightened up again on the other side, he felt his breath catch in his throat as he gazed at the magnificiant scene before him. 

About twenty-five feet ahead of him, the snow dropped away at a steep, cliff-like drop down into a huge pine forest, which spread out below him like a blanket. On the other side of the small, sheltered valley the mountains rose like looming giants, casting their shadows among the trees. The sun was just setting behind them, visible through a small break in the heavy snow clouds, bathing everything in a soft red and orange light. The snow sparkled like gems, but nature wasn't what had stolen Bakura's breath away. Amoura had skiid forward to almost the edge of the cliff, and stood framed by the mountains that rose behind her. The setting sun turned her sea green hair almost black, and it shimmered like a starling's wing [1]. She turned away from the view, looking for him, and laughed at the expression on his face, her eyes sparkling. 

Bakura was quite sure he'd never seen a more beautiful creature. 

Amoura beckoned him forward, and he went to her slowly, as if in a dream, completely enraptured by her appearance and their present surroundings. Once he was even with her, she made to speak, but he cut her off, grabbing her gloved hands in his. 

"Amoura... I've never seen anything more wonderful, thank you for bringing me here. This," he waved a hand at the scenery before him. "Is amazing! But, I have to be truthful, not nearly as beautiful as you." 

Amoura's eyes widened and she blinked at him owlishly. "Wha-" Unable to resist the sudden temptation that had eluded them that morning, Bakura bent down and kissed her, sliding his arms around her waist. For a moment Amoura was too surprised to respond, but then she leaned into him, throwing her own arms around his neck. After a moment they broke the kiss, and Amoura looked up at him shyly from under her eyelashes. "Oh, Bakura..." 

Bakura was slightly out of breath, his breath coming in little puffs that formed clouds as they left his mouth. In the dying light of the sun Amoura could see that his face was flushed, though from the cold or something else she couldn't be sure. Was this what Serenity meant, Amoura wondered dazedly, when she said your first kiss was bliss? Oh sure, she'd been kissed before, but that was on the playground when she was ten years old. This... 

"We should turn back," Bakura said softly after a moment. "It's snowing harder. Your hair is almost as white as mine from the snow." 

"No 'air could be as white as yours." Amoura said, her mouth curving upward into a playful smile. Then she sighed and stepped away from him, pulling reluctantly out of his arms. "But I zuppose you're right... Oh!!" 

Bakura's eyes widened in horror as Amoura stepped back onto a patch of ice that had begun to form over the snow. Her skiis slid out from under her as she vainly pinwheeled her arms, trying to restore her balance. Bakura saw the danger immediately and lunged forward, his heart beating in his throat, but his grasping hands were just a second too late, and his fingers just barely brushed Amoura's coat before she was over the edge of the cliff. 

He landed on his stomach in the snow, staring fearfully down toward the pine forest. He could hear rocks sliding below him, but the sun had already set, and no matter how he strained his eyes he could see nothing. 

"AMOURA!!!!" 

But his call was met with silence, save the echoes that the valley walls threw back at him. He sat up, his heart threatening to tear itself out of his chest. He knew he should go back, find help. But he had no idea where he was, and the heavy snow surely would have washed away all their tracks by now. If he left, he'd never be able to find Amoura again. He had to stay with her. 

Fumbling in his jacket pocket with his thick gloves, Bakura finally suceeded in pulling out a small flashlight he'd had the insight to bring along. Shining it downward, he gulped. The slope wasn't very long, but it was steep. He could probably climb down it if he was very careful... but not wearing skiis. 

Bakura stopped, frozen a moment by indecision. If he took off his skiis, and by consequence his boots, his feet were sure to freeze. All he had on under them were two pair of wool socks. 

But it didn't matter. Amoura was what mattered. She was laying down there somewhere, hurt, probably unconcious, possibly... 

He refused to let himself think of that possibility as he clumsily undid the straps that held his feet in the skiis. Pulling his feet free of the boots, he shivered as the wet snow soaked through his socks almost immediately. Leaving his skiis and ski poles at the top of the hill, and holding the tiny flashlight in his mouth, he began the long climb down into the valley. 

~*~

Tea glanced out the window worridly, then turned away from it as the cabin door opened, admitting Yami and Yugi, both of them carrying armloads of fire wood. Yugi kicked the door closed behind him, and they added their loads to the quickly-growing pile near the hearth. 

"I think that's all of it." Yami said, straightening up to work a kink out of his back. "It should be enough to last us the night, at least." 

Tea bit her lip as the Moto men began to pull off wet coats and gloves and lay them in front of the fire to dry. "Guys, I'm really worried about Amoura and Bakura. They should have been back by now!" 

Yugi put a hand on her arm reassuringly. "They're fine Tea. I'm sure they went to the lodge as soon as it started snowing harder, and are stuck there. They're probably sitting by the fire right now, laughing and talking. They'll be fine until the snow storm lets up." 

Yami snickered. "Laughing and talking and doing _other_ things." 

Yugi and Tea both blushed. "Yami!" 

Yami snickered again and shrugged. "I'm only telling the honest truth, aibou." 

Yugi sweatdropped slightly. "Well, be that as it may..." 

"So what do _we_ do until the storm lets up?" Tea asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's not like there's a TV to watch or anything." She saw them both open their mouths to suggest something, but beat them to the punch. "And if you say 'duel' I will personally kick both your butts outside into the snow. Don't you guys ever do anything _but_ duel?" 

Yami sighed and removed his hand from his pocket, where he'd been about to pull out his deck. Yugi chuckled and headed for the left most bedroom to fetch his suitcase. "I brought a couple board games, and there's plenty of books around. Monopoly, anyone?" 

Yami made a face. "I always land on Boardwalk..." he grumbled, crossing his arms. "And _you_ always own it. What else did you bring?" 

Yugi emmerged, dragging his suitcase behind him. "Chess, Monopoly, Clue, Capsule Monsters, Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit, and Sorry." 

"How about Lord of the Rings?" Tea asked, sitting down cross-legged in front of the fire. "That's always fun." 

Yugi nodded and pulled out the box, taking a seat on the floor next to Tea. Yami sat down as well, completing the triangle with a wide grin on his face. "Yes! I am _master_ of this game!" 

Yugi sniggered. "Unless Bakura or Ishtar were here. I tell you, it's almost _scary_ how obsessed you guys are with those movies. You haven't even read the books!" 

Yami grinned as he set up the board, grabbing the Aragorn piece before anyone else could. "Why do you think I'm learning English?" 

Tea rolled her eyes and threw the dice at his head. "Just roll." 

~*~

"Amoura! Amoura, answer me if you can!" 

Bakura cursed under his breath as he trudged through the snow, the beam of his flashlight only penetrating two or three feet forward in the snow storm. He'd made it down the slippery slope with only a couple major slides, but even so he refused to notice the bloody trail through the snow that his numb and frozen feet were leaving. 

He shivered again and cupped the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight around his mouth. "Amoura!!!" 

All at once the beam of his light struck something half covered in snow and reflected off of green hair and blue nylon. Bakura's heart jumped into his throat as he stumbled forward and fell to his knees beside her, franticly digging the snow away from her face and shoulders. She moaned a little under his touch, and her eyes fluttered open. "P-papa?" 

"No, no Amoura, it's me, Bakura. Are you okay?" 

Shivering violently, Amoura pushed herself up to her elbows. "N-no," she said, sniffing a little in pain. "I-I vell really hard on my leg, Bakura. I-I d-dunno if I c-can stand." 

(Just a short author's note: If you thought writing a French accent was hard, try writing a stutterng French accent. -_-;) 

Bakura bit his lip as he moved his flashlight further down her body. When he saw her right leg he winced. "I'm pretty sure it's broken Amoura-chan, you won't be going anywhere any time soon." 

Amoura's eyes were wide in fright. "But, B-bakura, it's s-so cold. Ve've g-got to get inzide." 

Bakura's eyes were worried, although he didn't allow her to see it. "I know." His mind raced, trying to think of something before they both turned into living popcicles. His eyes lit up as he remembered. "I passed a cave a few minutes back. At least that'll protect us from the wind." He bit his lip as he handed her the flashlight. "I'm g-going to have to carry you." 

Amoura nodded, complete trust written on her face. She took the flashlight from him so that she could light their way while he carried her. As gently as he could Bakura slid his arms under her, lifting her out of the snow as he staggered to his feet. She cried out in pain, a couple tears escaping her eyes to freeze down her cheeks. Bakura grit his teeth and set off the way he'd come, trying not to jar her too much. She buried her face in his shoulder, her shoulders shaking with surpressed sobs. 

They arrived at the cave, such as it was, a few minutes later. It was about twenty or twenty-five feet deep, and the ceiling was high enough for Bakura to stand upright with a couple inches to spare. The floor sloped gently downward the farther back you went, and in the very back there was a sort of a bend in the cave, and a small, bowl-shaped dip in the floor. It was here that Bakura set Amoura down, as gently as he could. They were mostly out of the wind, although the cold was as penetrating as ever. 

"I'm going to go see if I can find some wood." Bakura said, clenching his jaw to control his chattering teeth. Amoura obviously couldn't walk, and before very long his own feet would be too numb to hold him up. He had to get what firewood he could find while there was still time. 

Amoura nodded mutely, her expression somewhat dull. Bakura realized she was probably going into shock. He left the cave, taking the light with him. He didn't really want to leave Amoura shivering in the dark, but he'd get lost without the light. 

Not twelve feet in front of the cave was a strand of pine, with plenty of dry branches under the sheltering branches. [2] Gratefully Bakura gathered all he could carry, and then came back for several more armloads. Once there was quite a big pile beside Amoura in the cave, Bakura dragged a few of the bigger, bushier branches across the cave opening to protect them from the wind and driving snow. 

Once he'd done all he could, he flopped down next to Amoura, surpressing a moan as his feet protested to such abuse. Reaching over Amoura he grabbed several of the thicker, sturdier branches and shoved them into the depression in the cave floor. Fumbling in his pockets, he pulled out the flint and tinder he carried and struck a few sparks. The outer bark was wet, and it took several tries before it caught, but in no time a small, smoldering fire was casting enough heat to make Bakura start shivering again. 

"Mmm..." Amoura stirred slightly, and Bakura dragged himself over next to her. "Bakura? Are you okay?" 

"Somewhat." Bakura said grimmly. "I'm more worried about you." 

Amoura blushed a little. "I am vine, really. Just cold." 

"That makes two of us." Bakura agreed. "Hey, I've got an idea." Moving closer to her, he gently slid around behind her so that she was mostly on his lap. She leaned back against him, and he wrapped his arms around her so they could share body heat. "There, how's that 'Moura?" 

"Better." Amoura said softly. "A little. Bakura, vat if no one finds us?" 

"They will." Bakura said reassuringly. "Yami and Yugi and Tea know we're gone, they'll come looking for us. Then Yami can laugh in my face about being stuck in the snow." Amoura rolled her eyes, and Bakura grinned and squeezed her a little. "We'll be all right." 

"I 'ope zo..." Amoura said, blinking back tears as she lay her head against Bakura's chest. "I 'ope zo..." 

~*~

"Checkmate." Tea moved her pawn into possition and Yami dropped his head into his hands. 

"Checkmated by a _pawn_," the "King of Games" moaned, and Tea and Yugi grinned. 

"Well, I had Yugi helping me," Tea said. "I guess you just weren't a match for _both_ of us." Yami nodded, and Tea stood up and went over to the fireplace, putting another log on the fire. She frowned. "Guys, we're starting to run out of wood." 

Yugi bit his lip. "That can't be good..." 

Yami frowned. "If that fire goes out, we're no better off then if we were out there in the snow." 

"Well, there's always..." Tea trailed off, hesitant to suggest something that would sound so absurd. 

"Always what, Tea?" Yugi asked. 

"Er... There's always body heat." Tea said. "Like, cuddling, I mean." 

Yugi and Yami both turned red, and Tea sweatdropped. "Or not." 

"No," Yami said thoughtfully. "That's actually a pretty good idea... Yugi, help me fold down the couch bed. Tea, can you get all the blankets out of the bedrooms?" 

"Sure Yami." Tea scampered off to do his bidding, whilst Yami and Yugi fought with the couch. 

The couch won. 

"Stupid thing..." Yami muttered, trying again without success to get it to unfold. "No wonder Bakura likes it, it's as stubborn as he is!" 

Yugi put a hand over his mouth, trying not to let Yami see him laugh. "Um, Yami? There's an instruction booklet taped to the bottom." 

"Oro?" Leaning over to look at the underside, Yami sweatdropped. "Well I'll be, instuctions ahoy!" 

Yugi sweatdropped. "Yami, remind me never to let you near snow again, it makes you loopier than Weevil on drugs..." 

Yami rolled his eyes and grabbed the book, flipping through it with a groan. "French and English! And Swedish! Why would they need Swedish?!" 

"Because Sweden's just north of here?" Tea rolled her eyes and grabbed the book from Yami. "Gimme that." 

~*~

It was getting colder, and despite their small, smokey fire Amoura and Bakura were both beginning to feel the effects of it. Amoura kept drifting in and out of conciousness, shivering almost uncontrolably. Bakura was getting worried about her. 

Sliding her carefully off his lap he built up the fire as best he could, laying Amoura so that she was as close as she could be without getting burnt. Bakura bit his lip as he noticed for the first time that her coat was soaked from her tumble down the hill and the time she'd been laying in the snow. After only a moment's thought Bakura reached down to undo the coat, sliding it gently out from around her. He then quickly took off his own coat, putting it on Amoura. It was too big for her, but at least it was drier than her own. 

Bakura shivered as the cold slapped him in the face through the reletively thin sweatshirt he had on under his coat. Rubbing his hands up and down his arms and blowing on frozen fingers, he pulled on Amoura's wet and too-small coat, for all the good it would do him. He leaned back against the wall with a groan, propping his feet up on a rock next to the fire to at least try and warm them a little. 

"Horus," he whispered softly through chapped lips, his eyes drifting closed. "God of Winds and Mortal Men, Isis, Lady of Ladies, Hathor, Goddess of All That is Lovely... Protect Amoura, see her through this, please, no matter what... Anubis, I beg you, stay away from her this night, even if you have to take me in return... 

"Please... Just let Amoura live..." 

~*~

Yugi and Tea were giggling again. Yami just rolled his eyes and tucked his hands behind his head. "What now, you two?" 

All three of them were stuffed onto the couch bed, which was made for two but could fit three in a pinch (especially when two of them were smaller than average). They were cuddled under about five blankets, with Yugi in the middle, Yami to his right, and Tea to his left. The fire had long since died down, and while they did have a couple logs left, none of them wanted to get out of the cozy bed to go put one in. The blankets and their close quarters were doing their jobs. 

"Your hair tickles, mou hitori no boku!" Yugi said, grinning up at his yami and brushing a few loose strands of Yami's hair away from his nose as he did. 

Yami rolled his eyes again. "I'm not the one who chose to keep it in three foot spikes for years and years, now am I?" 

"They were not three feet!" Yugi said indignantly, though he was still grinning. "And besides, my hair's nice and short now. How come yours stays long? I thought you were supposed to look just like me?" 

Yami looked thoughtful. "Actually aibou, no. It's _you_ who was born to look like _me_. I'm the preincarnate, you're the _re_incarnate. And even with that aside, haven't you noticed how much more... well, mortal I'm becoming? Bakura and I were discussing it this afternoon. I stay out of the Puzzle much longer now than I did even a year ago." 

Yugi blinked in surprise. "Gosh, you're right. I can't even think of the last time you were in your soulroom." 

"That's because it's getting harder and harder for me to go back, aibou." 

Yugi's eyes widened in shock. "What?" 

"It's a concious effort for me to retreat to the Puzzle now, whereas when you first got it, I went back almost automaticly after every duel. Bakura thinks that the need for the Pharaoh is passing, and therefore I'm being given my own body to live my own life. He also mentioned something about keeping balance for his mortal body, but I didn't get a chance to ask him what he meant." 

"That's bizarre..." Yugi said thoughtfully. "But it sounds about right. We'll have to ask Ryou whenever we see him next." 

Yami chuckled. "That poor man. He's been all over the world in just the last couple weeks." 

Yugi grinned. "Yeah, about the only place he _hasn't_ been is here!" 

"Keep it down you two," Tea muttered from Yugi's other side. "I'm trying to get some sleep." 

Yugi glanced at his watch in surprise. "Midnight already? Gosh, with all the clouds all over the place, I hadn't even noticed the sun had set." He smiled and snuggled down under the covers, laying his head against Yami's shoulder. "Good night Yami, g'night Tea." 

"Good night Yugi," they chorused, settling down into their own possitions. After a while Yami started to snore softly, but Yugi lay awake, plagued by the feeling that something was terribly wrong. 

~*~

"...kura...Bakura...Dangit Bakura, wake up! ...Wakie wakie... Bakura... Oh blast it all. THOMAS!!!" 

Bakura jerked awake, his brain still fogged by sleep (if, indeed, he'd been asleep and not unconcious). He blinked his eyes blearily, trying to focus on the two figures standing before him. He actually felt rather like he was drunk, his head was weaving, his eyes refused to focus, and his hands and feet had gone numb. He blinked hard, finally bringing the "visitors" into focus. Even as his heart identified them, his frozen brain was wondeing how they could wear so little clothing in such weather. 

One was tall and wiry, decidedly male, bare footed, and bare chested. Plain tarnished silver bracelets adorned his arms, and a single pendant hung around his neck, enscribed with the Eye of Horus. He wore a white pleated kilt with a ragged hem, tied around his waist with a strip of purple cloth. His long white hair was tied back into a low tail with another strip of the same cloth. His face was fine-boned, almost femenine in its delicacy, which only worked together with the _kohl_[3] make-up he was wearing to accentuate his vibrant green eyes. 

The other, much shorter than her companion, was a female, her long light blond hair hanging in her brown eyes. She wore a short skirt that tied between her legs, serving as something halfway between loincloth and pants. An ill-fitting and dirty shirt covered her upper portions, slipping off her left shoulder to reveal the beginning of a shallow scar, which evidentually continued diagnolly between her breasts and down to her right hip. She was bare footed as well. 

"But..." Bakura whispered, his eyes wide. "But you can't be! You're..." 

"And you _almost_ are, Thomas." the man said, crossing his arms over his chest with a kind smile. "So how about it. Isn't it about time?" 

"My name is _Bakura_." Bakura said fiercely, glaring at his twin brother. "And no, I am not just going to roll over and play dead just because you two came to fetch me. For all I know, I could be hallucinating." 

This seemed to amuse Jonathon, and his smile widened. "Suit yourself," he said, shrugging. "Believe whatever you like. But you prayed to Anubis, and Anubis has answered." 

Bakura's eyes widened. "H-he's really taking me?" 

"In exchange for sparing her." Jonathon nodded his head toward Amoura. His green eyes were sad as he looked at Bakura. "I know there's things you've left undone, _ank_[4], I'm sorry." 

"She's very pretty, isn't she?" 

Both men turned their attention to the woman, who was standing quietly and looking down at Amoura, who was also asleep, with a queer expression on her face. Bakura started at the sight of her. "Anjil, I-" 

His wife smiled at him, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "It's all right Bekhura, I understand. Five thousand years is a long time to wait. I don't mind that you've fallen in love with another." 

Bakura nodded. "But I'll _always_ love you, Anjil." 

"And I you." It was barely a whisper. 

"Come on Bakura," Jonathon said softly, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We haven't the time to waste. They're all waiting on us, you know. Mother and father, and our cousins, and the little sister that mother was carrying when she died, and everyone else. They can't wait to see you again, to have you... to have you home again." 

"How... how is it possible?" he whispered. 

"The gods are not as unforgiving as the priests always said." Anjil said quietly. "Horus saw it all, and saw the priests were in the wrong, not the villagers of Kuru Eruna. He championed their case to Anubis, and all were let into Paradise. They're waiting for us. Aren't you ready to come home, Bekhura?" 

Bakura swallowed, wondering when tears had come to his eyes. He no longer felt the cold of the snowy mountain top, but instead the great heat of the Sahara, the cool waters of the Nile running across his feet, the lotus and bullrushes tickling his elbows. He could hear their laughter, just on the edges of his ears. His cousins yelling for him to come and play with them, his mother calling him in for supper... The voice of one little girl with white hair, never given a chance at life when the priests cruelly pushed her into death... 

And he almost went. He almost stepped into the water, let Jonathon lead him to the far bank. But he stopped. 

"I..." Bakura's voice failed him, and he could only move his hand to stroke Amoura's hair. His eyes were on the ground, though his mind and heart were torn two ways. For five thousand years he'd thought all his people, his family and friends, were devoured by Ammit. Now he knew they were all well, and were waiting for him. Oh, how he wanted to see them again... 

But there was Amoura to think of, and Ryou. What would they do without him here? And Yami and Ishtar, why should he go to his afterlife and leave them behind? 

Slowly he let his hand drop away from Amoura's hair to lay still on the stone floor. His eyes were still downcast, refusing to look up at Anjil or Jonathon, lest it weaken his resolve. He missed them all, Jonathon especially. But... 

When he did speak, it was barely more than a whisper. 

"I _am_ home." 

~*~

Eventually Yugi did drift off to sleep, though it wasn't a very pleasent one. Dreams plagued the short hikari, until finally all his tossing and turning awoke Yami. The ex-pharaoh sat up, blinking in the pitch dark cabin. "Nnguh?" 

Yugi muttered something in his sleep and flipped an arm around Yami's neck, catching the spirit off guard. "Ack! Yugi, Yugi let go!" 

Yugi awoke with a start and sat upright, his breathing heavy. "Zombie snowmen!" 

"Nani, aibou?" 

Yugi blinked and rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his pajama top. He yawned and then looked over at Yami. "I'm sorry Yami, I didn't mean to wake you. I keep having weird dreams..." 

"Weird how?" Yami asked, putting an arm around Yugi's shoulders and half-pulling the smaller boy onto his lap. "Weird like Kaiba belly-dancing weird, or weird like invading Shadow Monsters weird?" 

Yugi shuddered. "Definately the first kind, although thankfully not that... disturbing. Zombie snowmen, 20-foot pink poodle, creepy monkey ninja guy, stuff like that. The stuff you know shouldn't be scary but somehow is." 

Yami raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I dunno. I find zombie snowmen very scary." 

Yugi laughed a little, careful not to wake Tea. "You would." His smile faded, and he looked at Yami seriously. "Yami... Something's wrong. I don't know what, but I can just feel it..." he bit his lip. "Bakura said something had happened to Ryou. Yami, I'm scared..." 

Yami put his arms around Yugi and pulled him into a hug. "Oh aibou... I wish I could reassure you, but I'm afraid I can't. Whatever this is, I can feel it too. Something's... wrong. Out of place somehow..." He stopped, his eyes widening slightly in shock and fright. "A-aibou, did you just feel that?" 

Yugi looked just as scared, and clung to his "big brother". "Freezing cold breath on the back of your neck?" 

Yami nodded mutely. 

"Oooooh yeah, I felt it." 

In the silence and darkness following Yugi's statement, as the two Motos clung to each other in the cold cabin, they clearly heard the voice that was whispering in their ears. 

_"They will cry, but their tears will come too late. There is no redemption for the ones who _choose_ to walk in the shadows."_[5] 

Yugi squeaked, and for a moment he and Yami stared at each other, their eyes wide and fearful. "A gh-ghost?" Yugi asked, his eyes looking like they were almost ready to pop out of his head. 

Yami's eyes were worried. "No Yugi," he said softly, his hands clutching at the blankets. "That sounded like Bakura." 

Someone put a hand on Yami's shoulder, and at that point both the Motos began to scream bloody murder. 

(Thanks to Ebony Kuroneko for the idea! *hugs*) 

~*~

Amoura yawned widely, sitting up and glancing around the room. To her surprise, she found that she was in her own bed in France. Yunet was curled up at the foot of her bed, purring. Amoura pushed the blankets off, staring in confusion down at her soft pink nightgown. Had it all been just a dream? The vandelism of the Arc, their trip to Switzerland, the snowstorm... What was going on? 

Sliding off her bed, Amoura opened the curtains at her window to look out across Paris. The sun was shining, it had to be late in the morning. People were going back and forth along the street beyond their front gate. Two children she didn't recognise were running across their front lawn, a shaggy dog chasing after them. They were laughing and yelling, and Amoura could hear them even through the closed window. But... that was wrong. This was most definately the house she'd grown up in, but it wasn't supposed to be in Paris. It was in the outskirts, and Amoura had never been able to see any of downtown Paris from her bedroom window. What was going on? 

Still very much confused, Amoura turned back around and headed for the door. Maybe Grandmama or mother would know what had happened. Or Yami, he always seemed to know what was going on. ....Except when he was drunk, that is. 

Passing by the mirror that hung over her dresser, Amoura stopped and stared. She wasn't nineteen anymore, she looked... older... Not _old_ old, but grown up. Her mother's age, maybe. 

Her eyes wide, Amoura just stared at her reflection, reaching a tentative hand up to touch her own face, to see if what she was seeing was really real. She was startled out of her reverie by a gentle knock on her door. "Amoura, are you in there?" 

She jumped and spun around. The voice was deep, very much masculine. "A-ah, who is it?" 

To her horror the door knob began to turn. Before she could barracade the door and demand why a strange man was in her house, the door had opened and Amoura found herself staring at the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen. Short silver-white wavy hair, big brown eyes, the most _amazing_ body... 

And she realized with a jolt that it was Bakura. Bakura in his thirties, but still very much Bakura. 

_What the hell was he doing in her house?!?_

"Oh good, you're awake," he said, a grin splitting his face and making Amoura's heart thump treacherously. "Could you come down and help me give the monsters breackfast? Jon's in the shower, or I'd make him do it." 

Apparently someone nearby had overheard Bakura's comment, because another masculine voice from down the hall called, "What about Ramses and Dezi?" 

"They're outside," Bakura called back, pulling his head out of the bedroom to glance off to the left. "I could always get _you_ to help." 

"No way," the other voice said, finally coming into view and leaning in the doorway next to Bakura. "Hey sis, you sure slept late. I thought you'd never get up." 

"Amoura!" Bakura said, stepping into the room with a slightly annoyed look on his face. "Yunet's shedding all over the blankets again. I keep telling you we should get a new comforter, one that cat hair wouldn't show up on, but nooooo..." Picking up the cat and dodging her claws, Bakura set her down on the floor and nudged her with his foot, sending her scurrying out the door. 

For the moment Bakura's words didn't register, as Amoura was just staring at the green-haired grinning man in front of her. "Julien?" 

"Who else would I be?" her brother asked, confused. "Are you feeling okay?" 

"Ah... I zuppose..." Amoura said. "Er, lead the way Bakura..." 

Bakura shrugged, exchanged glances with Julien, and headed for the stairs that led down to the first floor. Julien peeled off and headed for the front door, while Bakura continued on into the kitchen. After a moment's debate, Amoura followed Bakura, and then stopped in shock. The wall that had previously been there, that seperated the kitchen from the diningroom, was completely gone. Now there was only a waist-high counter there. If Bakura noticed her stop, he gave no sign, and went straight for the huge table in the middle of the diningroom. At either end of the table a high chair was set up, and one of the other chairs had two phone books in use as an improvised booster seat. 

Sitting on the phone books was a little girl of about four, with curly green hair and bright brown eyes. The two high chairs were occupied by two small children of about a year old, most likely twins, a girl and a boy, who were thouroughly engrossed in the Cheerios scattered across their high chair trays. 

"Daddy!" the four-year-old squealed, holding out her arms to Bakura. He picked her up and tossed her into the air, catching her again as she came down. 

"Good morning," he said, giving her a kiss and setting her back onto her chair. "How's my little lotus bud this morning?" 

She giggled. "Fine. Uncle Julien says you're going to make us pancackes!" 

"Pancakes?" Bakura pretended to frown. "You don't like pancakes!" 

"Yes I do!" the girl giggled. "And so do 'Wen and 'Ret!" she pointed at the twins. 

Bakura rolled his eyes dropping his silly facade. "Amanda, don't call them 'Wen and 'Ret. They do have proper names, you know." 

"Okay, fine." the little girl, Amanda, pretended to pout. "Brewen and Maharet. There. Happy now daddy?" 

Bakura's lips curved up into a smile. "Much." He turned to glance back at Amoura. "Hey 'Moura, you coming?" 

"Yeah Mommy, come sit down by me!" little Amanda said. "Daddy's making pancakes!" 

Bakura disappeared into the kitchen, and Amoura went forward to sit by the little girl, her eyes alight in wonder. "I'm... your mama?" 

Amanda nodded, seemingly more intrested in poking her fork through the table cloth than talking to her mother. 

"And... You were named after my grandmother?" 

Another nod. 

Oh boy. Now for the twenty-gazillion dollar question. "And... Zat man in zere is your father?" 

Another nod, and an odd look. "Are you okay mama?" 

Great. Now even a four-year-old was questioning her sanity. "Oui, just a little tired..." 

Amanda perked up, dropping her fork. "Are you pregnant again mommy? Daddy says you always get real tired when you're pregnant." 

"Oh Ra, I hope not..." Bakura said, leaning against the counter that seperated the kitched from the diningroom. "Five times was quite enough, thank you very much." He glanced slyly at Amoura. "Although, accidents are sometimes good things..." 

Amoura found herself blushing, but was saved from further humiliation as Julien's voice could be heard through the open kitchen window. "Dezi! Ramses! Food's up!" 

Twenty seconds later the front door banged open and two more kids barreled into the room, Julien following more slowly behind them. The first of the children to enter was a little girl, about nine, with long light green hair pulled back into pig tails. She was wearing a pair of overalls, and although her hair and eyes were Amoura's, the face clearly belonged to Bakura. 

The other one, a boy of about eleven, was the spitting image of his father, from his spiky silver-white hair to the bottoms of his bare feet. "Dad!" he yelled, running over to Bakura as the girl took a seat on Amoura's other side. "Dad, can Dezi and I give Pharaoh a bath after breakfast?" 

"I don't see why not," Bakura said, shrugging. "Make sure it's okay with your mother." 

The boy, Ramses (leave it to Bakura to pick a name like _that_, though it did have a certain charm), turned to her. "Please mom?" he asked. "He's real dirty, especially after he helped us dig for treasure!" 

Amoura's mind raced. Pharaoh... Pharaoh... Knowing Bakura like she did... She decided to take a chance. "Sure, you may give zee dog a bath." She held her breath, watching their faces, but it seemed she'd guessed right. She let out the breath she'd been holding in a quiet sigh. 

Bakura emmerged from the kitchen carrying a huge plate piled with pancakes. "Hey Julien, go get Jon for me, okay?" 

Julien nodded, pushing himself off from where he'd been leaning against the door frame. He walked casually to the base of the stairs and then cupped his hands around his mouth. "JONATHON RYOU BAKURA!!!!!!" he yelled. "Get your butt down here before your sisters and brothers eat all the food!!!" There was an answering "okay" from somewhere upstairs and Julien sauntered back to the table, grinning and sitting down on Amoura's other side. 

"You didn't need to shout, Uncle Julien," Dezi said, speaking for the first time. She and Ramses jumped forward at the same time, grabbing several pancakes each as Bakura set the plate down in the center of the table. "Hey dad, school's almost out for the summer. Where are we going to go on vacation this year?" 

"Well," Bakura said, grinning slightly. "I'll tell you, but we have to wait for Jon." 

Ramses and Dezi nodded, and Amanda blinked before shrugging and reaching for the pancakes herself. "I'll get it for you, Amanda," Amoura said, reaching forward to give the little girl, her daughter, her breakfast. 

Bakura frowned slightly at the two older children, as they dug into their breakfasts with a vigor. "Ramses Kaeru and Desirée Kathrine, wait for your brother." Dezi and Ramses pouted, but obiediantly if sulkily put down their forks. 

It was a couple minutes later that the allusive Jon finally entered the diningroom. He was dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, and had obviously just gotten out of the shower, as his dark hair was still wet and he had a towel hanging around his shoulders. For a moment all Amoura could do was stare. She'd been expecting another son somewhere around Ramses's or Dezi's age, nine or ten. But this boy was fifteen, at least! His hair was easily the darkest out of all the children, looking almost black, and just like all the rest of his siblings, his eyes were brown. 

"Hi mom," he said, leaning over to kiss Amoura on the cheek before plopping into a chair between Bakura and Ramses and reaching for the pancakes. "Sorry I'm late." 

Amoura looked around the crowded table, her eyes wide. It was dominated by green, as everyone but Ramses and Bakura shared the Letazaut green hair. Ramses, however, could easily have been mistaken for a much younger version of his father. If not for the faint scar that still showed up on Bakura's cheek, he and Ramses would have been identical. 

Jon leaned over to say something to Ramses, who started giggling like only eleven-year-old boys can. Dezi put her hands on her hips, demanding to know what was so funny, which only made Ramses laugh harder. Jon grinned, and Bakura chuckled a little, as if he was in on the joke. Little Amanda was carrying on an animated conversaion with her little brother Brewen in his high chair, although he didn't seem to be paying attention in the least. Julien had gotten up to get a jar of what looked like baby food out of one of the cabinets so he could feed the other twin, and suddenly let out a shriek as Maharet spit strained beets all over his shirt. This was a family, Amoura realized as she watched them laugh and talk. _Her_ family. 

"Tell us now, daddy!" Dezi shreiked, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Tell us!" 

"Yes daddy," Julien mimicked, clapping his hands together. "Tell us where we're going on vacation!" 

Bakura shot Julien a slightly annoyed look, but then cleared his throat and grinned. "I am happy to announce," he said. "That we will be spending almost the entire summer... in Japan." 

"Japan?!" the entire family chorused at once, and then broke into excited chatter. 

"All right! Irene and Raff, here I come!" Jon exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air triumphantly. 

"Uncle Yami and Uncle Yugi!" Ramses said, his eyes shining in excitement. "They can give me more new Duel Monsters cards!" 

"I'll be there for Shelley's birthday this year!" Dezi said happily. "I haven't seen her since Christmas!" 

"Kai!" Amanda squealed, clapping her hands. "Kai-chan!" 

Bakura's grin widened and he said loudly "But that isn't all." Slowly the talking dimmed, and all eyes were on him again. "...We're going to Japan so your mother and I can look into houses, so we can finally move back to Japan." 

His announcement was met first with silence, and then with ringing cheers. 

Amoura watched all this in a sort of half-detached way. She knew none of it was real, but she wished to every god that it was... Her and Bakura together, married with children, and apparently with Julien living in the attic... It was all she'd ever dreamed of. Children, beautiful children, even if there were rather a lot of them. If only... If only her future really could be just like this... 

"Amoura," 

The quiet voice cut through the noise in the room like a knife. Amoura gasped in recognition and spun in her seat, although none of the rest sitting at the table seemed to notice. Behind her, in the doorway, stood a tall figure she hadn't seen in years. His broad shoulders cast a long shadow, but to Amoura they weren't imposing in the least. His face seemed to be slightly in the shadow, but she knew it as well as her own. 

"Papa!" 

She stood up from her seat, and suddenly realised that she was nineteen again. Turning, she looked over her shoulder to see the scene at the dinner table begin to melt away, and she fixed each small face in her minds eye. Jon and Ramses, Dezi and Amanda, Brewen and Maharet... And Bakura, and Julien. Someday... someday she'd see them again, just like this. Someday. 

She turned back to her father, blinking back sudden tears. "Oh papa..." 

Her father's face softened, and he went down on one knee and spread his arms out, just like he had when she was younger. "Come here, m'girl," he said fondly. She ran to him then, and threw her arms around him. He hugged her close, and she could smell his aftershave, just like always. Even his beard felt the same, rough against her cheek. He was even in uniform. It was like he'd just come home after two years on the job. 

"Oh papa," she sobbed, burying her face in his shoulder. "Papa, why'd you 'ave to go? I miss you zo much!" 

"I miss you too Amoura," he said softly, stroking her hair with one calloused hand. "I'd give anything to have you and your mother and Julien back. But not..." his voice dropped softly. "Not this." 

Amoura pulled away from him, sniffling slightly. "Papa? Vat do you mean?" 

The familiar Parisian home had disappeared by now, and they stood in a landscape of twisting shadows. If she listened closely, Amoura was sure she could hear the rush of wind and the lapping of waves, somewhere far away. It was beginning to get colder too. Gradually the water sound seemed to get louder, until suddenly Amoura saw. 

They were standing not ten feet from the edge of a rushing, roaring river. On the other side, or maybe just on a huge island in the middle, was a huge city. It was built almost entirely of sandstone, though in the center a huge white marble palace rose. The river surrounded the cite like a moat, and then went crashing off to the north and to the south. Way off on the northern horrizon was a soft golden glow, and off to the south there was a reddish hew to the sky. At the north and south ends of the city were docks, which housed rowboats and steamers and ships of seemingly all kinds. Directly in front of them was a wide, golden, arching bridge, apparently the only way into the city. 

Amoura gasped. "Vere are ve?" 

"This is the city of Roshai. It's populated by demons and spirits who do not wish to move on to the afterlife yet, like myself. Most would call it Purgatory. This is where the Fires of Destiny, Waters of Love, and Shrine of All Knowledge are." 

Amoura's eyes widened slightly. "Papa, vhy are ve 'ere?" 

Her father turned to her and smiled kindly, stroking her hair fondly. "Not for the reasons you think, I assure you. We're here to meet someone. Ah, here they come." 

Amoura looked up to see three figures approaching from the opposite direction, and she gasped in recognition. "Bakura!" 

The white-haired man looked up in surprise, and rounded accusingly on the man standing beside him. "You said she would be spared!" 

The man winced slightly, holding up his hands in defence. "Neither of you are dead _yet_, Bakura. Calm down. She's here so we can dispence with the formalities." 

Amoura was at Bakura's side now, her father following behind her. "What formalities?" she asked. "Who are you?" 

"My name is Jonathon," the man said. "I'm Bakura's brother, or at least I was five thousand years ago. This is Anjil, she's..." he stopped. 

"She's my wife." Bakura said quietly. 

Amoura stared at Anjil numbly, remembering Bakura's stories of his life in Egypt. She'd only sort of half-believed them, at least until now. "You're 'is vife?" 

Anjil smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, I am. Or was. Bekhura has a new life now... Maybe it's time he found someone new to love..." Amoura's eyes widened, and for a moment a brief look of understanding passed between the two very different women. 

"What formalities?" Amoura repeated softly, looking away from Anjil and toward Bakura and her father. 

Bakura bit his lip and looked away from her eyes. It was Anjil that answered. "Bekhura made a deal with Anubis. His life in exchange for yours." 

Amoura's eyes widened in shock. _"Vhat?!?"_

"We'd both die otherwise Amoura!" Bakura said sharply, looking her in the eye. "This way at least you can survive." 

"But what's the use of surviving if you're not there?" Amoura cried, grabbing him by the arm as if she could physicly hold him in life. "I couldn't live vithout you!" 

Bakura looked surprised. "Do you... do you really mean that Amoura?" 

"Mais oui..." Amoura said, slipping into her native French without even noticing. "Bakura, the whole reason I took you up to zee spot father and I vound vas so I could tell you, but I chickened out... Bakura, I love you. How could I ever go on, knowing you'd traded yourself for me?" Tears welled up in her eyes, and Bakura had to look away from her, lest his own tears begin to fall. 

"Amoura... I have to do this. I refuse to let you die if there's a way I can let you live. I love you so much... It's almost funny. I haven't said those words in so long, and yet I mean them with all my heart..." 

Amoura clung to him, her face buried in his coat. Bakura looked over at Jonathon, who just shrugged helplessly. Anjil was standing silently by Bakura's twin, a slightly misty look in her eyes. Amoura's father stood a small distance away, watching his daughter whistfully and thinking of all he'd missed and all he would miss in the future. As it was, it was only Jonathon that noted the two imposing figures approaching from over the bridge to Purgatory. He let out a sort of muffled squwak and dropped to one knee, bowing his head in deferance. As soon as they realized who was approaching, Anjil and Amoura's father did the same. 

Bakura and Amoura stared at them momentarily before they too turned to look at the bridge, where the two figures were just stepping off onto solid ground. Amoura gasped in shock and fright, and Bakura had to fight the urge to drop to his knees like his brother and wife had. 

Both standing at over seven feet tall, the two made imposing figures. One was bone thin, swarthed in dark robes. The other was broad shouldered and muscular, dressed in the fine garb of an Egyptian god. Far from the hokey wooden masks the _sem_ priests [6] used to wear, the jackel's head on his shoulders was most definately real. 

Anubis and Death had arrived. 

~*~

"Guys! Calm down, calm down, it's just me!" 

Slowly Yugi stopped screaming and ventured to open one eye. "T-tea?" 

Tea rolled her eyes as Yami too stopped shrieking, his eyes wide. "Who _else_ would it be? Jeez, you guys are really jumpy tonight. What's the matter?" 

Yami shook his head, running a hand through his tangled hair. "It's just a feeling I've got, Tea, but a very bad one" 

"Me too," Yugi said, nodding. "Something's wrong, I can just feel it." 

Tea shivered. "Stop being so creepy. What is it that's got you so spooked?" 

Yugi hunched his shoulders, as if his neck still prickled. "Cold breath down the back of our necks!" 

"It was just a draft..." Tea sounded unsure. "You must have been dreaming." 

Yami shook his head. "It was no dream. We _heard_ Bakura whisper in our ears. Didn't we Yugi?" 

Yugi nodded vahemantly and dived under the covers as if he could hide. "It was like a gh-ghost!" 

Tea's eyes were wide by now. She glanced out the window and blinked. "It's beginning to get light, and it looks like for the most part it's stopped snowing. Why don't you just go down to the lodge and ask Bakura what's going on." 

"Yes..." Yami muttered, throwing aside the blankets. "Yes, that's a good idea." He shivered as he stepped out of the bed and on to the cold floor. Yugi and Tea soon followed. Thankfully the cabin door opened inward, as they'd never have been able to push it out with three feet of snow on the other side. They bundled up and found snowshoes in the closet, which they strapped on to their boots. So attired, they were ready to face the snowy world. 

Tea, being the tallest of the three, boosted Yami and Yugi up and out the door onto the top of the newly fallen snow before scrambling up herself. Then they headed downhill toward the lodge, occasionally slipping on brief patches of ice that had formed over the snow. Once Yami fell clean into a snow bank, and had to be pulled out. He grumbled about "demon possessed snow" all the way down to the lodge, with Yugi and Tea unsuccessfully trying to cover up their snickers. 

The scenery was beautiful, as it almost always is after a snow storm. The sky was a clear, crisp blue with the sun just beginning to peak over the snow-coated tree tops, marking the time as roughly six thirty a.m. It was quiet, save for the occasional 'plop' of snow falling off tree branches, or an infrequent bird call. All around them the snow glittered a pure, unblemished white. 

They reached the lodge a short time later and pushed open the doors, sliding down the small snow bank that tumbled in with them. Several people were sitting around the main room, talking and laughing. It seemed Bakura and Amoura weren't the only ones to get stranded at the lodge. Neither of them, however, were in sight. 

Yami snickered and elbowed Yugi in the ribs. "I told you so. They're probably getting to know one another better in one of the bedrooms right now." 

Yugi gagged and blushed at the thought of that, and Tea rolled her eyes. "Knock it off you two." She left the two of them playfully fighting each other by the door and headed for the front desk, where the manager sat behind the counter. It was the same man who'd been here for nearly the past twenty years, and who knew the Letazaut family personally. He was the one Amoura had spoken to a few days earlier to get the key to the family cabin. 

"^Bonjour monsieur,^" she said in halting French. "^Is Amoura Letazaut and Yami Bakura here?^" 

The manager shook his head, a slight look of surprise on his face. They'd all been in and out of the lodge these last couple days, and he recognised Tea as one of Amoura's friends. "^Non, I have not seen them since yesterday afternoon. Is something wrong?^" 

Tea's eyes widened. "^They didn't come in here when the snow storm hit?!^" The manager shook his head, and Tea's knees buckled under her, forcing her to sit down heavily on the floor. Yami and Yugi noticed this and hurried over, their eyes wide. 

"Tea?" Yugi asked, kneeling beside her as the manager hurried out from around the desk. "Tea, what's wrong?" 

"^They must still be out there!^" Tea said, ignoring her two non-French speaking friends for the moment and looking at the manager. "^They went out skiing last night, and didn't come back! We'd assumed they took shelter here!^" 

The manager gasped in alarm, and patted her arm briefly before hurrying away, shouting in French for someone to go to the mountain patrol station nearby and order a search party formed. Meanwhile, Yami was gently shaking Tea, who'd suddenly began to sob. "Tea, talk to us! What's wrong?" 

"Am-moura and Bakura," she choked, throwing her arms around Yami's neck, him being the closest person to her. "Th-they never made it here. They're still out on the mountain somewhere!" 

Yugi and Yami exchanged shocked looks over Tea's head, and Yugi rubbed the back of his neck again, remembering the feeling of cold breath and Bakura's whispered words. He couldn't be... 

Yami pulled Tea to her feet, helping to guide the shuddering woman toward the couches around the fire place. A lot of the men who'd been sitting around before had sprung into action, pulling on coats and scarves to get ready to go out with the search parties. Several women were as well, but most of the women were staying around the fire talking in low, concerned voices. A couple had their heads bowed in prayer. Yami, through gestures and a few halting words in French, made them understand that Tea was a friend of the missing people. The women nodded in understanding and gathered around Tea, offering her what support and comfort they could. Yami started to turn away when Tea's voice reached him. 

"Y-yami, where are you going?" She sounded a little panicked, as if she was afraid he would be lost in the snow too. Sighing, Yami turned back to kneel in front of her. 

"Tea, Yugi and I are going to go out with the search parties. We can't just sit here waiting for them to be found. You'll be all right here Tea, and we'll be back as soon as we find them." 

Tea shuddered, but tried to put on a brave face and nodded. "I-I'll e-mail and call everyone, to let them know what's happening. Is Shaadi's cell number still on your caller i.d. from when Bakura" she stumbled a little over the name "C-called him?" 

"I think so." Yami dug his cell phone out of his pocket and tossed it to Tea. "We'll be back soon, I promise." She nodded again and Yami ran to join Yugi, who was already bundling up to head outside. 

"We'll find them," Yami repeated quietly to himself, trying to keep his own fear at bay. Stupid tomb robber, they'd been through so much, he couldn't kick the bucket _now_. "We've got to." 

~*~

From: lovingfriendship@hotmail.com 

To: Ryou (secondsight04@hotmail.com); Shen-san (pyramidobsessor413@hotmail.com); Joey (blackdragon007@hotmail.com); Malik (tombkeeper@egypt.net); Isis (ancientpriestess22@egypt.net); Gwen (pixistix303@aol.com); Duke (dice-boy88@industrielillusions.org); Madame Amanda-san (amletazaut@française.com); Tristan (ribbonchanslover@japan.net); Kaiba (doubleceo@kaibacorp.org) 

Subject: Snow Storm in the Alps 

As you guys probably already know, Yugi, Yami, Amoura, Bakura, and I have been staying at a cabin in the Alps for the past week or so due to some stupidness on the part of Yami. Weather's been all screwy lately, and last night a blizzard came through that dumped nearly four feet of snow on us. Yugi, Yami, and I are all okay, we were in the cabin when the snow hit. 

But Bakura and Amoura were outside skiing. We assumed they made it back to the lodge and waited out the night there, but a few minutes ago we found out they never came in to the lodge, so they have to still be out in the snow somewhere. Yami and Yugi have gone out with the search parties, and hopefully they can find them before it's too late. 

A lot of you guys will be getting phone calls from me too, but I just wanted to send out e-mails in case the blizzard took down some phone lines, or messed with the cell phone reception. 

In the famous words of Yami, we've made it through worse stuff then this before, and we can make it through this too. I'll keep you updated and let you know as soon as I find out anything. 

Yours, Tea 

~*~

"Bakura! Bakura, answer me!" 

"Amoura, where are you?" 

"Stupid tomb robber..." Yami muttered, lowering his hands from where they'd been cupped around his mouth. "I'll beat him to a bloody pulp for making me worry like this..." He clenched his hands into fists, grounding his teeth together in frustration, fear, and worry. "Bakura!!" he screamed, raising his fist to shake it at the sky. "You'd better not be dead again or I'll kill you!" 

Yugi looked at Yami worridly, a frown gracing his gentle face. Although Yami and Bakura both tried not to show it, the two of them were fast friends, almost brothers. Yami was clearly worried about Bakura, although he tried not to show it. "Yami..." 

The two of them and about five other Frenchmen were scouting some of the higher slopes, shouting for Amoura and Bakura. The blizzard would have washed away any trace of them passing, so they had to rely on the hope that one or the other of them was concious enough to answer their calls. Yami and Yugi communicated with the Frenchmen with broad, charade-like gestures and the few French words they knew. 

Yami sighed deeply and ran a gloved hand through his hair. "I'm really worried Yugi. Bakura's not any more used to the cold than I am, this must be torture for him. And I'm afraid he'll do something stupidly chivolrous, like give his coat to Amoura. That idiot..." he was muttering almost to himself again, like he'd forgotten Yugi was there. "Baka baka baka... Baka fellahin... Hebrew idiot! Baka baka baka... Chikusho fellah... Shimatta baka slave-boy..." [7] 

Yugi blinked. Yami must be _really_ worried if he was beginning to mix up his languages. Yugi winced slightly as Yami cursed Bakura again, alternating between Japanese, Arabic, and English. Yami's tirade was cut short, though, when one of the Frenchmen who'd gone ahead shouted back at them. The rest of the group broke into a run (or at least as close as you could get on snowshoes) and caught up to him around a slight bend in the path. He was pointing excitedly at one of the trees, against which a pair of ski poles were leaning. The Frenchman carrying the radio immediately called back to the lodge, which was the base of operations, to report that they'd found something. 

Yami and Yugi, meanwhile, along with one of the Frenchmen, had pushed through the tree barrier to stand on a cliff that overlooked a forest valley below. The view was beautiful, but none of them stopped to admire it. Yami ran toward the edge, bending over to stare downward, although he could see no hint of either of his friends. "Amoura!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. His echo bounced around the valley, throwing his calls back at him. "Bakura!! Are you down there?" 

Yugi moved forward to stand next to Yami when his toe hit something buried under the snow. He cried out in surprise and kneeled down to dig out whatever it was. He gasped and turned pale as soon as he saw. "Y-Yami!" 

Yami turned back from the edge to see what Yugi wanted. "Yug-" he saw what Yugi was digging out from the snow and gasped. It was Bakura's skiis, but Bakura wasn't attached to them. That meant he must be _barefoot_ somewhere, the idiot! But it also meant he had to be close. 

"The cliff!" Yugi and Yami exclaimed in unison. They scrambled back to the edge and looked over it, at the steep but short climb down to the bottom. They exchanged silent glances, their faces hardened, and then they shucked their snowshoes, which would only get in the way. Yami grabbed on to Yugi's wrists to steady him as the hikari slid himself off the edge of the cliff and scrambled for foot holds. A moment later Yami followed him down, despite the protests and shouted warnings of the Frenchmen. 

Yugi reached the bottom with little incident, and although Yami slipped and fell the last couple feet to land in the snow, he was unhurt. After a moment of consultation, Yugi started out to the left and Yami the right, both of them following the cliff face. Bakura and Amoura couldn't have gotten too far away from it, especially if one or both of them had fallen off the cliff and been hurt. 

Yugi had only gone about fifty yards when he heard Yami shout for him. Yugi immediately did an about face and ran as fast as he could in the deep snow, back the way he'd came. He found Yami franticly pulling branches and small bushes away from the front of what looked like a cave. "I swear I heard something inside moan!" Yami said, his eyes wide and very worried. Yugi began helping to pull the branches back that were piled across the entrance, and within a few minutes, just as several of the Frenchmen finished sliding their way down the slope, Yugi and Yami were able to step into the cave. 

It took them a moment to adjust to the dim light after the bright sun reflecting off the snow outside, but after a moment they were able to step cautiosly forward, approaching a bend in the cave. They rounded the corner, and Yugi couldn't help the small scream that burst out of him. 

Amoura was laying next to the remains of what looked like a small fire, shivering uncontrolably and wrapped up in Bakura's coat. Her right leg was twisted into an unnatural possition, most probably broken at least once. She moaned again and rolled her head to the side, exposing blue lips and a too-pale face. 

But it was Bakura that frightened the Duo of the Puzzle. He lay sprawled out on Amoura's other side, his hand stretched toward her as if he'd been trying to reach her and fallen. He was perfectly still, his lips and the skin around his eyes tinged an unhealthy blue. 

Several Frenchmen carrying two collapsable stretchers pushed past the two stunned Japanese, and it was only then that they heard the deep-throated purr of several snow mobiles outside and the whir of an approaching helicopter. When the men lifted Amoura to put her on the stretcher, trying to be as careful as they could, she cried out in pain and her eyes snapped open. Yugi and Yami were at her side instantly, and though she fainted again almost immediately after, both of them were quite relieved that she was still very much alive. 

Amoura was carried out quickly to the helicopter to be careflighted to the nearest hospital as soon as she and Bakura were both on board. When the French paramedics went to lift Bakura onto the stretcher, his limbs were stiff and heavy, his skin icy to the touch. They exchanged meaningful glances, and Yugi and Yami both tried to fight down their fear. Bakura just couldn't be... 

But even when he was jarred slightly as he was loaded on the helicopter, he didn't wake up. 

~*~

To anyone who happened to glance their way, they just appeared to be asleep. They'd managed to get seats next to each other on the first available flight, mostly due to the prominance of the Ishtar family in Egyptian society, and they were now a little over two hours out of Cairo. It would be at least three more before they landed in Paris to pick up Valeraine, Madame Amanda, and Julien and then boarded a connecting flight to Switzerland. 

Ryou was sitting nearest the window, with Serenity next to him. His left hand was curled around her right, and they were leaning against each other. Their eyes were closed, but every now and then the muscles of their faces would twitch, as if they were dreaming. In reality, both were meditating. 

Before leaving the dig, Fate had promised to meet Ryou at the Heart of the World so they could discuss some things and Ryou could ask at least some of the ten thousand questions he still had. Once settled on the plane and preparing to enter the Heart, Ryou had insisted that Serenity come with him. She'd tried to disuade him, as that would tire him out even more, but he'd insisted. He claimed it was so she could hear what Fate had to say too, but Serenity suspected it was because at the Heart of the World he had his sight, and would be able to really see her. Actually, it was a mix of both these reasons. 

When Serenity blinked her eyes open she found herself standing on a barren field, about the size of an American football field. Nothing grew around the edges except short, coarse grass and a few stunted bushes. In the middle stood a small mound with what looked like a very small tree shoot growing out of it. Ryou was still beside her, his hand in hers. Rotating above them was the earth, dotted with millions of tiny points of light that shimmered like many colored gems on blue and green velvet. 

Serenity realized with a start that she was seeing peoples' auras, just like Ryou always did. 

Ryou turned toward her with a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth, his eyes alight with the sparkle of sight. She smiled back, but he nearly didn't notice, as he was busy drinking in the sight of her standing there before him. His eyes swept over her body and then centered in on her face, absolutely taken with how beautiful she'd become. 

Pulling her close to him, Ryou forgot that they were flying to Switzerland to possibly see Bakura die, forgot that they were here to meet with Fate, forgot all except the girl, no, the woman in front of him. "Oh koibito..." he murmered, running his fingers through her hair. "I know I never get to tell you, but you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." 

Her cheeks grew hot at the praise and he grinned, leaning closer to nibble at her ear. "How about we continue what we started several days ago, hm?" Serenity blushed redder, but Ryou just grinned and leaned in to kiss her. Despite her slight embarrassment, she had no trouble at all putting their thoughts into action. 

"Awwww, you two are so cute..." 

They jerked apart and turned to face Fate, who was standing behind them with a wide smile on her face, as if she knew very well she was interrupting something. Then her grin dropped and she frowned. "Ryou Emerson Bakura, her feeding you medicine is one thing, but you're both much to young to be kissing like that normally!" 

Serenity blushed again, and Ryou looked at the goddess with a pained expression on his face. "_Mo_ther..." 

"It's true." Fate said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're both practicly still children." 

"Mother, I'm turning twenty next month!" Ryou said, his voice slightly whiny. "Why can't I kiss my own girlfriend?" 

"Because you're not a legal adult yet, and I'm still your mother, so you still have to do as I say." Fate said. 

Serenity looked on in slight amusement. It certainly hadn't taken Ryou and Fate long to adjust to the usual mother-son relationship. Though Serenity had never seen a mother and her son act quite like this before. 

Ryou made a face. "I don't see you contradicting Bakura chasing after Amoura!" 

"I'm not his mother." Fate answered smartly. 

Ryou blinked, suddenly reminded of why they were there in the first place. "That's one of the things I meant to ask you about, okaa-san." he said. "Yami and Bakura said that you, Angeline Bakura, were reincarnated from Anjil, Bakura's wife. But how could that be? You said you lived in ancient Egypt, but you never said anything about dying, and I think you would have mentioned having any lovers other then dad, especially if it was Bakura." Ryou wrinkled his nose slightly at how wrong that seemed, and Fate chuckled slightly. 

"Ahhh, I see you've gotten to the heart of the matter right away, as usual Ryou. It's a long story, but I'll give you the condenced version. Yes, I did live in ancient Egypt during the reign of Atemu I and Ramses I. That would be, if you were curious, Yami and his son-in-law. After Yami died, his adopted daughter Shahi married a priest's son named Ramses, who then took the throne." 

"Wait!" Ryou cried, blinking in surprise. "Shahi was _Bakura's_ daughter, wasn't she! She ruled as Queen? Good gods, Bakura will go spar when he finds out..." 

Fate just smiled at him and continued her story. "The other Elementals and I lived among them, just like normal people. But after Akhenaton usurped the throne from Ramses, and the Eighteenth Dynasty began to decline..." she shrugged. "We decided it was best to move on. Akhenaton was too ambicious. We didn't want the Puzzle, or any of the Items, to fall into hands that could possibly use them for evil. [8] 

"So we hid the Items, and charged the Abdul and Ishtar lines with their protection. Then we took leave of the world and built our fortress in the Shadow Realm. That's where we've been ever since, waiting and watching and occationally interferring. 

"As a goddess, I can freely travel between dimentions and realms. In a sence, I'm actually everywhere and everywhen at once, though it's a bit more complicated than that. Anyway, in most other realms the Anjil of ancient Egypt was indeed reincarnated as Angeline Bakura, including in this one. But I'm not Angeline Bakura. Angeline Bakura was killed when she was barely ten years old, which is obviously a problem. Time told me this, and told me I had to _be_ Angeline Bakura so that something connected to the future of all the realms could happen. Obviously, he meant your birth, although he didn't tell me what, exactly, I was supposed to be doing. 

"After you and your sister were born, I expected to stay mortal and raise you. Unfortunately, there was an uprising in another dimention that I had to help stop. So I faked my own death, and then contacted Yami, who had just been released from the Puzzle at the time, and told him about your powers so if you came into them while I was away at least Pharaoh would know what was going on." 

Ryou blinked. "This is beyond strange..." 

Fate chuckled. "Well, out of all the realms I've visited at one point or another, this has got to be one of the weirdest..." 

"Tell us about some of the others!" Serenity said. "What are they like? How is this realm so different?" 

Fate looked thoughtful. "In most other realms, Yami and Bakura are mortal enemies, or at least rivals. This is probably the _only_ realm I've heard of where they actually get on well with each other, let alone being good friends." 

"Really?" Ryou asked, chuckling. "I can believe that." 

"Another thing is you two," Fate continued. "Most of the time Serenity Wheeler either falls in love with Duke Devlin or Seto Kaiba, or sometimes Tristan Taylor. There's only a bare handful of worlds where she falls for Ryou Bakura." 

Ryou and Serenity blinked in surprise, then grinned at each other cutely. 

Fate looked sad momentarily. "And in most other realms, or at least the ones where his spirit lingers on, Mahaado is sane. This realm always seems to get the worst of it..." 

Ryou shuddered slightly at the mention of Mahaado. "Yeah mom, sure, whatever you say." 

Fate's frown cleared, and she chuckled. "But then again, this realm has been lucky, too. In other worlds I've been to, Yugi's dead, or sick, or insufferably hyper. I've been to realms where Yami Moto has gone Shadow Mad, where the Millenium Items have been destroyed or tainted beyond belief, or where war rages constantly. I've been to worlds where Ryou Bakura is a mage, or a murderer, or a sci-fi geek. And _this_ is the realm I call home."[9] 

Serenity gasped slightly at Fate's descriptions. "A murderer?!" 

Ryou was more amused. "A sci-fi geek?" 

Fate smiled wryly. "Some realms are different indeed. Most other Ryou's would never believe that it would be possible for one of them to be a telepath, or to be beaten so hard he went blind. It's all a matter of circumstance and choice." 

"But you're the goddess Fate," Serenity pointed out. "Isn't it like your job to mess with peoples lives so they can say 'it was fated to happen'?" 

"Not exactly," Fate said softly. "I just make sure what should happen does. It's Time that tells me what, exactly, I should do, and heaven knows where he gets his visions from. We only follow orders." 

Ryou nodded slowly in understanding. "Fate and Time, sister and brother, the duo that controls the ebb and flow of events." 

Fate nodded as well, and then paused. "I don't think anyone knows, Ryou, but I may as well tell you. If you want to be technical you and Yami are second cousins." 

Ryou started to nod his agreement, then paused to do a double-take. _"What?!"_

Fate shrugged. "I wasn't the only Elemental to become mortal for a few years and have children. Time is Yami Yugi's grandfather, which makes Yami your second cousin. Actually, Time had two sons, one of which was Priest Seto's father, but he's dead now so it doesn't matter much." 

"Wait," Ryou said, his head spinning in confusion. "Yami and Kaiba are cousins? And I'm their _dads'_ cousin?!" 

"Pretty much." 

"Is there anything _else_ I should know about?!" Ryou asked, his voice squeaking a little as he hit high notes he hadn't been able to since he was thirteen. "No bastard sons of Death or unknown daughters of Passion?" 

Fate looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm pretty sure Malik must be decended from that daughter Hatred had a couple hundred years ago, but I can't be sure because we never kept track of her bloodline..." 

Ryou groaned, putting his hands over his ears and shutting his eyes. "I don't need to hear this! Not tonight! I didn't need to know I'm a murderer in some random dimention! I didn't need to know Malik might be the offspring of a god! I _didn't_ need to know I'm an ancient pharaoh's _cousin!!_" He groaned and then laughed, although it was a bitter laugh that made Serenity and Fate exchange worried glances. "Bakura will have a fit..." He sobbed deeply, thinking of Bakura, and Serenity moved forward to wrap her arms around him. For once she was the anchor, and he the one on turbulent waters. 

Fate gazed at them sympatheticly, and then stepped forward to gently rest a hand on Ryou's shoulder. "The plane's landing, my son. It's time." 

~*~

Madame watched with intrest as the passengers began to disembark from the plane. From what Tea had said when she called, it shouldn't be too hard to spot Bakura's little brother. Apparently, they looked exactly alike. 

Madame and Valeraine, Amoura's mother, were sitting on hard plastic chairs in the Paris international airport, ready to board the plane bound for Switzerland as soon as they met up with Ryou Bakura and Serenity Wheeler, who were supposed to be coming in from Egypt on this flight. Valeraine was bouncing Julien on her knee in a detatched, worried sort of manner. The servants had wanted to come too, but Madame had said no, someone had to stay at the house to stave off the reporters. And besides, Amoura was going to be just fine, from the preliminary reports the doctors had released. It was the _other_ one everyone was worried about... 

Except Valeraine. A mother's concern was always for her daughter, no matter how trivial the hurt. Madame sighed and patted her daughter-in-law on the shoulder without taking her eyes from the masses of people leaving the plane. "^She'll be fine, 'Raine, it's only a broken leg and a surprisingly mild case of hypothermia... Ah, that must be them.^" 

A white-haired man who could only be Ryou Bakura and a slightly younger girl with ginger brown hair where just emmerging from the plane, both of them carrying duffel bags. Madame was immediately stricken with how utterly exhausted Ryou looked. His white hair hung in his eyes and looked like it hadn't been brushed properly for at least several days. Dark bags hung under his dulled eyes, and he was leaning heavily on the obviously worried woman. As they got closer, it was clear that the woman was scolding Ryou. "...And you didn't have to take me with you, because I just _knew_ you'd overdo it, but nooooo you said..." She fell silent as Ryou made a slight chopping motion with one hand. 

"I assume you're Amoura-chan's family?" Ryou asked after a minute. 

Madame started to nod, and then caught herself as she remembered Yugi telling her once that Bakura's little brother was blind. "Yes, that's us. I'm Amanda Letazaut, this is my daughter-in-law, Valeraine, who's Amoura's mother, and this is Julien, Amoura's brother." 

"It's a pleasure." the girl said. "I'm Serenity Wheeler, and this is my koibito, Ryou Bakura." 

Ryou nodded and tried to surpress a wide yawn. "I'm sorry, please forgive my rudeness. I've been... ill lately, and I'm not fully recovered yet." 

Madame looked alarmed. "Goodness, what are you doing flying halfway across the world then?!" 

Serenity shot Ryou a dirty look, causing him to sweatdrop and laugh sheepishly. "That's what _I_ keep asking him..." 

Ryou shook his head firmly, then stopped when the motion made him dizzy. "He's my brother." he said firmly, repeating what he'd been telling Serenity for the past twelve hours. "Yami no mou hitori no boku. I know he'd go to hell and back for me, so I think I can handle a couple airplane flights." 

"Not if you fall over," Madame said, truly concerned. "Come, they just called our flight. I'm not sure how long this trip will be, it can't be much more than an hour, but at least you can rest." Ryou smiled weakly at her and nodded, allowing Serenity to guide him in the direction they were going. He wasn't _just_ leaning on Serenity for balance. His powers were still so dim from his near-death experience that he could barely sence anything within five feet of him. He was, quite literally, walking blind. 

The flight was longer than anticipated, but Ryou was unable to rest. Julien seemed to think _he_ was Bakura, and insisted on sitting on his lap. Ryou smiled a little as Julien hugged a stuffed bear he'd brought along, babbling something in a language only other two-year-olds could understand. Serenity, sitting beside the two of them, was absolutely enchanted. 

"Oh Ryou, he's so adorable!" she cooed, engaging the little boy in a happy game of patty-cake. "He looks just like Amoura!" 

Ryou chuckled slightly, his anxiety for the moment leaving him. "I've never seen either one of them, Sere." 

Serenity blushed. "Oops, you're right. He sure seems to like you Ryou." 

"Nah, he likes Bakura. I look just the same to him. Whoops, watch out Julien, you need to stay on my lap please." 

Serenity giggled. "Still, I think you're very good with kids." Her face took on a dreamy expression. "I wonder what our children will be like..." 

Ryou's eyes nearly popped and his face turned a deep scarlet. "Ano..." 

Serenity blinked. "Gah! Did I say that outloud? I'm sorry Ry', I was just day dreaming, I didn't mean to, and-" 

She was thouroughly cut off as Ryou leaned over to kiss her. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, and they didn't part until Julien giggled and tugged on Ryou's pony tail. They separated reluctantly, and Ryou gave his girlfriend a sort of crooked half-smile. "Daughters, I think." 

"Mmm?" Serenity asked, still drifting around on Cloud Ryou. 

"I think we'll have daughters." 

Serenity smiled, blushing happily. "And sons too, I'd hope." 

Ryou pretended to think about this, and then nodded. "Sons too." 

Both of them giggled quietly, and then turned their attention back to Julien. 

~*~

"^Oh my baby! My poor Amoura!!^" 

Amoura's eyes snapped open as she suddenly found herself engulfed in a hug about three sizes too big for her. She squeaked in surprise, and then yelped in pain as her mother inadvertantly jostled her broken leg, which was casted and elevated in front of her. "Mama!" 

Amoura and Bakura were in the same hospital room, mostly because Amoura had refused to be separated from him, and had kicked and screamed when the doctors had tried to take her to a different room. Afraid she would injure herself further, they had decided to indulge her. As it was, it was almost like there were two different rooms anyway. Amoura lay nearest the door, swathed in blankets, with her head poking out at one end and her casted leg at the other. 

She'd awoken again during the flight to the hospital, and had been mostly awake since then. Yami, Yugi, and Tea had been in to see her a couple times, but their visits had been distracted and downcast, with all of them constantly turning to look toward the other bed. 

Bakura lay near the window, hooked up to a respirator, a heart monitor, several I.V.s, and a score of other machines Amoura had no names for. He too was covered in blankets, and was nearly hidden by the numerous wires and tubes connected to him. The only sign he was in the bed at all was the shock of white hair splayed out on the pillow. Every second she was awake Amoura lay and listened to the heart monitor, willing it to keep beeping. 

Bakura hadn't woken up yet. Not even once. 

Valeraine let go of her daughter, sniffling as she soothed Amoura's hair back from her face. Amoura felt sudden tears brim up in her eyes as she looked at her mother, and then past her to where Madame was standing with Julien in her arms. "Oh Maman... Julien... Grandmama..." Everything mounted up, and she burst into tears. Valeraine put her arms around her, hugging her daughter close. 

Ryou stood in the doorway, as frozen as Bakura was. His heart thundered in his chest, and his breath came in quick gaps. He didn't hear Amoura's sobs, or Tea and Serenity talking quietly to Madame. When Yami put a hand on his shoulder, Ryou didn't even feel it. 

Bakura's aura was so faint, so fragile... It was almost like if a big gust of wind came along, it would just go out... 

"Ryou?" Yugi asked hesitantly, exchanging a worried look with Yami. The look on Ryou's face was one Yugi hadn't seen in a long time, and one that chilled him to the bone. Ryou didn't just look scared, he looked _terrified_. 

As if Yugi's voice had snapped him out of some sort of self-imposed trance, Ryou practicly sprinted to the other bed. He banged his shin against Amoura's bed on his way past, cursed, and then dropped to his knees beside Bakura. 

"Oh Bakura..." Ryou whimpered, burying his face on the blankets covering the other man. "Oh Bakura, please, open your eyes... Onegai, Bakura..." 

Serenity started to step forward to comfort him, but Yami put a gentle hand on her arm to hold her back. "Let him," he said quietly, his eyes sad. "Just let him alone for awhile Serenity, there isn't anything you can do." 

The girl nodded sadly and retreated to sit beside Tea on a small couch in the corner of the room. The two girls began to talk quietly together. After a few minutes Amoura's tears were reduced to sniffles, and her mother pulled away from her slightly, patting her on the back and calming her in French. Madame came to perch on the edge of the bed, and Julien crawled up to sit next to his sister. Yugi and Yami leaned on either side of the door, silently watching over Ryou, who still kneeled next to his brother, as silent and still as if he'd been frozen himself. 

"Amoura," 

The green-haired girl blinked and looked up as Ryou said her name, though he didn't move from his kneeling possition. "Oui, Ryou?" 

Ryou's fists clenched around the blankets on Bakura's bed, the only visible sign of his inner emotions. "What happened?" he asked. 

Yugi and Yami exchanged glances. Ryou's voice was flat, hollow. It was as if all life and feeling had been drained out of him. Some would have mistaken it for cold-heartedness, but both Puzzle holders saw it for what it was. Ryou had told Yugi once that emotions were a dangerous thing for a telepath to have. If made angry, a telepath easily had the power to slaughter dozens. In grief, who knew what a telepath could do? The duo realized that Ryou was carefully holding himself in check, forcing himself to keep his tears bottled, for fear of what his powers might do to himself and those around him if he fully gave himself over to grief. 

A mournful telepath could easily take his own life. 

Amoura glanced at Madame, the only one in the room who spoke Japanese and didn't know about Bakura's past history, and bit her lip. Then she sighed and gave up. "I vell down zee cliff, and Bakura came down after me and carried me into zee cave vhere Yugi and Yami vound us. 'E must 'ave built a zmall vire, but I vas asleep, or unconcious. I vas dreaming too, though I do not remember exactly about vat. But I do remember zat Papa vas zere. 'E took me to a place called Purgatory, where Bakura vas vaiting for us..." 

~*~

"(You are Bekhura, the tomb thief, Holder of the Millenium Ring, are you not?)" 

The voice was a deep rumble, with slight traces of canine growls, and he spoke in Egyptian. Dispite all the claims he'd made over the years that he didn't worship the Egyptian gods, Bakura found himself in awe of Anubis. Concious that Amoura had no idea what he was saying, Bakura answered as best he knew how. 

"(All except the last one, m'lord,)" Bakura said, bowing his head in deferance. "(I am not Ring Holder, my hikari is.)" 

"(Your light,)" Anubis's canine lips pulled back in something halfway between a sneer and a smile. "(The one you beat.)" 

Bakura winced, but could not deny the accusation. "(Yes, m'lord...)" he whispered. Behind him he heard Anjil gasp, and Amoura asking what they were saying, but neither Jonathon nor Anjil answered the French girl. 

Anubis seemed to ponder this answer, glancing down at a scroll he held partially unrolled in his hands. "(And yet here it says that you sacrificed your life for this same hikari. How we did not meet then, I am not sure.)" 

"(Nor am I, actually,)" Bakura said wryly. "(You would have to ask Pharaoh Atemu.)" 

Anubis nodded. "(And now you wish to sacrifice your life again, this time for this girl?)" 

Bakura closed his eyes, silently praying that Ryou and Yami and Amoura would forgive him. "(Yes.)" 

Anubis's eyes seemed to stare into Bakura's very heart of hearts, and whatever he found there must have surprised him greatly, for he seemed taken aback momentarily. "(You have regrets.)" 

"(Yes,)" Bakura said, opening his eyes again and surprised to find himself blinking back tears. "(My hikari is now my brother, and I am afraid for what my death may do to him. We've come to love and rely on each other these past years, and my passing will wound him deeply. I only hope that Fate can see him through, and his sweetheart will give him a reason to live on. 

"(My pharaoh is now my friend, and I don't think he'll forgive me for passing on to Paradise without him. Both of us have lingered far too long past our times, but he won't be happy to see me go. I can only pray that he will live his life with his own hikari, and join me in time, and not do anything rash. 

"(My... my companion is now my love. I-I would do anything for her, even this.)" His last line was spoken as a whisper as he turned to face Amoura, who was confused and afraid. "(Let her live, Anubis, and take me in return.)" 

Anubis stared at him for a moment longer, the expression on his jackal's face unreadable, and then nodded. Death snapped his fingers, and a Bakura felt a sudden, empty void inside even as Amoura disappeared back into the realm of life. 

"(Done.)" 

~*~

"And zat is it, really," Amoura said, shrugging. "I do not know vat zay vere zaying, but Anjil and Jonathon seemed pretty shocked." 

Yami frowned deeply. "Lord Anubis... This does not bode well..." 

Yugi put a hand on his Yami's arm and pointed at Ryou. The telepath was trembling, and beginning to glow around the edges. Quickly Yami shut the door, while Yugi hurried to Ryou's side. Madame and Valeraine stared at the white-haired telepath in shock, and Amoura quickly assured them that she'd explain later. Maybe by then she could come up with _some_ sort of story. 

"Ryou..." Yugi went to put a hand on Ryou's shoulder and the telepath turned on him, growling in an almost savage way. When he realized it was just Yugi, he calmed somewhat, and pointed stiffly toward the end of the bed. "Read them to me." 

[Cue music: _Brother Under the Sun_ - Brian Adams]

Yugi was taken aback. "Wha-?" 

"Bakura's charts. Read them to me!" 

Yugi gulped. Ryou's eyes were wide and wild, his breath coming in quick, sharp gasps. Much longer and he might start foaming at the mouth. A telepath's mind was a very powerful thing, but all the power made it dangerously unstable. Fate-sama had said that telepaths were almosy 40% more likely to lose their mind than normal humans. Ryou had warned them it might happen to him some day, but none of them had wanted to believe it. But now Yugi realized that Ryou _was_ losing his grip on reality, beginning to go crazy. If they lost Bakura now, hell only knew what Ryou would do to himself and those around him... 

Moving down to the foot of the bed, Yugi nearly groaned aloud, darting a panicked glance toward Ryou. The charts were in French, a language Yugi couldn't read. "Ano..." 

There was a rustling of silk beside him, and he glanced up to see a worried-looking Madame Amanda. "Yami Destin Bakura," she read, shooing Yugi back toward Ryou. "Birthdate: September 3rd. Age: 20. Severe hypothermia and frostbite in all major areas of the body. Severe shock, mild concussion, no broken bones. Amputaion of hands and feet if makes it through the night." Madame glanced up at Ryou and sputtered to a stop. 

Yugi and Yami both had ahold of one of Ryou's arms, trying to drag him away from Bakura's bed. He struggled against them, screaming and cursing and glowing a bright white. The Motos wrestled him to the ground and tried to pin the hysterical telepath down as he struggled. Tea had quickly locked the door and pulled all the blinds so no one outside could see exactly what was happening. 

"Ryou," Yami grunted, trying to hold him down. The telepath was surprisingly strong for someone who not so long ago had been dying from a magical poison. "Ryou, there's nothing you can do! You're much too weak to heal him!" 

"It could kill you if you tried!" Yugi agreed, tears welling up in his big violet eyes. "Please Ryou-" 

"I don't care!" Ryou screamed, tears dripping down his cheeks as he thrashed from side to side, trying to throw the two smaller men off him. "I won't let him die, not when I have the power to save him! I _won't_!" 

_I had a dream of a wide open prairie.   
I had a dream of the pale morning sky._

Summoning all the strength he could muster, Ryou threw both Puzzle holders across the room. Yami crashed into Madame with a deep 'omph!', and Yugi landed on the couch that Serenity and Tea hastily vacated as he flew at them. Valeraine gasped and slumped over in a faint, but for the moment no one paid her any attention. Amoura was still holding Julien, who kept alternating between being facinated and frightened by the display of power. 

Before anyone else could step forward to stop him, Ryou was again beside Bakura's bed. This time he threw the covers aside, heedless of the alarms the machines began to give off or the fact that this would surely bring hospital personnel running. Ignoring everything around him except the man in front of him, Ryou grabbed one of Bakura's stiff, frozen hands in his. Leaning over to place a soft kiss on Bakura's forehead, the glow around Ryou intencified as the little hikari poured all his heart and soul into this possibly suicidal healing. 

_I had a dream that we flew on golden wings,   
And we were the same, just the same, you and I..._

~*~

"(So where are we going?)" Bakura asked. 

Anjil, Death, and Amoura's father had left them soon after they crossed the golden bridge into the city. Anubis and Jonathon were walking on either side of him, leading him who knew where. For the moment, Jonathon and Bakura were still speaking ancient Egyptian. After all, why would an Egyptian god like Anubis know Japanese? 

It was a surprise to Bakura just how big the City of Roshai was. Spirits and demons hurried past on every side, going about their business, none of them stopping to give any of the others a second glance (although many bowed to Anubis on their way past, and quite a few more gave him a wide berth). It was almost like a human city in that aspect, although most earth cities didn't include six-armed demons and spirits that looked like black blobs wearing masks. Bakura looked around as they passed, and found that it really _was_ almost a human city. Houses sprang up on either side of the streets, intermixed with businesses, public baths, and museums from every era of history. It looked like some families were housing members that had been here since ancient Greecian or Roman days. Strangely though, only a few Egyptians walked the streets. Stranger still, all of them seemed to know Jonathon. 

'Most of our kind have already passed to Paradise.' Jonathon had told him when they first entered the city. 'Even Purgatory becomes dull after several thousand years. The only Egyptians here are those that directly serve the gods.' 

"(We're taking you to be judged, may Osiris be merciful.)" Jonathon said. "(Your body will not truly be dead until you've passed down the River Styx to your final destination, either north to Paradise or south to Damnation.)" 

Bakura surpressed the urge to shudder. All his long life he'd feared Osiris and his 42 judges, for surely his past sins would condemn him to hell. He would never be able to stand before them and truthfully recite the perscribed speech. _"I have never killed. I have never lied. I have never hurt those undeserving..."_ "(Can't I just linger, as you have, Jona?)" 

Anubis shook his great doggy head. "(No. You, Bekhura, have lingered far, _far_ too long as it is. And dispite your friendship with the Pharaoh, you cannot linger.)" 

Bakura sighed and dropped his head in defeat, and Jona patted him sympatheticly on the shoulder. "(You will be tried in the Waters of Love and the Fires of Destiny, and then taken before Osiris in the Shrine of All Knowledge, which lays beneath the marble palace in the center of the city. The Palace itself is a sort of a control center for all that goes on here and in heaven and hell. The Palace staff work together with the Elementals to make sure all goes as it should.)" 

"(The Palace staff?)" Bakura asked, confused. "(What, like cleaning ladies?)" 

Jonathon gave him a strange look. "(I think you've been mortal too long, my brother. The Palace staff are the gods and goddesses and demons which choose to take up residence here in Roshai, as opposed to other dimentions, such as the Elementals Shadow Realm palace. Most of our Egyptian gods hang out here, along with the Greek and Roman deities. There's a couple of the Hindu and Shinto gods around too, I think, but it's mainly us Egyptians. There's a whole slew of demons and spirits though. Some good, some not. Anyway, they're all under the command of the Trinity.)" 

"(The Trinity?)" 

Jonathon nodded. "(Lord Osiris, King Yama, and Lord Zeus. They run most everything in Roshai. Lord Ra is Keeper of Paradise, and Hades and Ammit jointly are Keeper of Hell.)" 

"(Sounds pleasent...)" Bakura muttered, half under his breath. "(What is this, a secret agent society?)" 

"(Something like that.)" Jonathon said. "(We do use spies occationaly, to keep watch on what the Enemies are doing.)" 

Bakura was about to answer when Anubis suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning to look up at the highest tower on the Palace, a strange expression on his doggy face. "(Something is happening,)" he growled, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to rise. "(Come.)" 

_Follow your heart - little child of the west wind._

They reached the Palace in a matter of minutes and got past the guards with no trouble. Strangely, the guards seemed as reverent of Jonathon as they did of Anubis. Bakura made a note to ask his twin about that. 

Inside, the Palace had the feel of a smoothly run business. Demons and creatures undescribible worked in all matter of rooms that were only glanced into briefly as Anubis hurried them past. They took several flights of stairs leading up, and eventually came to what seemed to be an atrium. Directly across from the staircase was a huge set of golden double doors, which were standing open at the moment. In the shadows beside them, Bakura could just make out the outline of a much smaller door that apparently led to a very steep, very narrow stair. This had all the look and feel of a private staircase, and Anubis was making right for it. 

As Jonathon grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him foward, Bakura couldn't help but stare into the room past the double doors. Deceptively, it wasn't very big, and was mostly taken up by a huge desk and a large padded chair. Someone who looked for all the world like a toddler was jumping up and down on the desk, apparently yelling at the two men who stood in front of him with their backs to Bakura. 

One of the two men was short, maybe even shorter than Yami, and was dressed entirely in black, with a white scarf. The other man was taller, and had long red hair that from the back reminded Bakura a little bit of Ryou's. As if sencing their passing, the red-head turned slightly to glance over his shoulder at them, revealing bright green eyes. 

"Huh..." Bakura muttered as Jonathon dragged him up the stairs. "He really looked familiar..."[10] 

They emmerged onto the rooftop of the tower, the wind snatching at their hair and clothes. What looked almost like a pane of glass hung in the air near the edge of the tower seemingly without support. Anubis stood in front of it with another god, apparently the one who summonded him, at his side. This god was dressed nearly the same as Anubis, but it was not a jackal's head on his shoulders, nor a human's head, but instead the head of the sacred white falcon. 

Bakura cried out in surprise as Jonathon calmly dropped to one knee, bowing his head before the falcon god. A moment later Bakura joined him, his pounded-in fear of the gods over-powering the fact that he'd never really believed they existed, until now anyway. 

Horus appeared confused for a moment, and glanced at Anubis, who shrugged. The falcon god turned back toward the two kneeling men, and would have sweatdropped if he could. "(Jonathon, you know there is no need to bow before me.)" 

Jonathon smiled crookedly as he climbed to his feet, pulling a confused and slightly scared Bakura up with him. "(I know m'lord, I thought I'd just set an example for my brother.)" 

Bakura snatched his arm out of Jonathon's grasp. "What in hell's name are you talking about?!" he hissed at his twin in Japanese. 

Jonathon shrugged self-conciously. "I _told_ you all the Egyptians around here directly served the gods. I'm something along the lines of Horus-sama's high priest, although we're no where near formal enough to give ourselves titles like that." 

"We?" 

Jonathon looked annoyed. "All us Egyptians. We all serve one or maybe two gods, but we take orders from them all. I am and always will be a Horus man." 

"And Anjil?" 

"She serves Lady Isis and Lady Hathor both." 

"(From the sounds of it, you two are arguing.)" Anubis said, slightly amused. "(But we have no time for it, I'm afraid.)" 

Jonathon and Bakura stopped hissing at each other and blinked at the god of embalming. "(Lord Anubis, what do you mean?)" Jonathon asked after a moment. 

Horus and Anubis turned back to face the glass-like thing, and Horus began to chant a spell under his breath. Jonathon and Bakura stepped up beside the two gods just as the glass began to cloud over. After several moments, a picture began to form as the mist cleared away. Bakura cried out in shock, his eyes widening. 

It was his body, laying in a hospital bed with any number of tubes and wires stuck into it, but that wasn't what had startled Bakura. Amoura lay in another bed nearby, with little Julien sitting beside her. Tea was just helping Yami and Madame off each other, and Serenity and Yugi were watching Ryou with wide eyes, horrified and helpless. It was Ryou that had made Bakura cry out. 

Ryou had constructed a glimmering golden shield around himself and Bakura, so that no one could interfere. He kneeled hunched over the bed, his aura streaming around him in raged flames, and flowing down his arms into Bakura. The Ring hung heavy on its chain around his neck, bouncing and swaying every time Ryou jerked or went into a spasm of coughing or screaming. He was using far too much energy, Bakura saw that right away. In fact... 

Ryou didn't even have any magic or spirit energy left. He was too tired from Mahaado's poison, too drained and exhausted. His magic had long ago run dry, the last of it was probably in the shield around him. 

He was healing Bakura using his own life energies, and he knew it. 

"RYOU!!!" Bakura yelled, looking like he wanted to dive through the screen. "Ryou, you can't! I'm not worth it!" 

_Follow the voice that's calling you home._

"(What's Ryou doing?)" Jonathon asked, his eyes nearly as wide as his brother's. 

"(The Child of Fate is attempting to heal Bekhura.)" Anubis rumbled. "(But he is far too weak. If he insists on continuing, he may indeed save Bekhura's life dispite the agreement Bekhura and I have made. But the Child will die in the attempt.)" 

Numbly Bakura watched as Ryou threw back his head and screamed, the pain of literally using up his own life being nearly too much for him. But still the Blind One grit his teeth, letting all of himself flow out through his hands. Bakura clenched his fists. Stupid stubborn hikari... "Ryou..." 

Bakura fell to his knees, tears gathering in his eyes as he saw Death appear in the corner of the hospital room, invisible to everyone there. He was holding his scythe at ready, and looked almost sad, insomuch as a skull _can_ look sad. Although none of the mortals could see the Elemental, Ryou senced him. The telepath turned slightly, blinking tears out of his blind eyes. Death said something, and Ryou shuddered slightly. Then, to Bakura's horror, Ryou nodded firmly. 

Bakura clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms, causing small trickles of blood to run down his hands. Ryou... How could he be so stupid... What was the use in dying just to save a worthless tomb thief? Bakura choked on his breath as Death raised his scythe, and Ryou let himself fall against Bakura's bed, a faint look of peace on his face. He knew he'd saved Bakura, even if it meant his own death. 

_"Nooooooo!!!!!!!!!"_

Jonathon shut his eyes at Bakura's scream, biting his lip until it bled. Suddenly he looked up at Horus with pleading eyes. "(Please... Please Horus...)" 

Horus looked thoughtfully down at where Bakura was sobbing on his knees, and then slowly nodded. "(So be it.)" 

Anubis scowled slightly at Bakura escaping him once again, but at Horus's command he snapped his fingers. Bakura stared at the magic glass in shock as Death seemed to jerk halfway through bringing his scythe down on Ryou, stopping just before the tip of the blade would have hit squarely between Ryou's shoulder blades. With a releived sigh the Elemental stepped back and vanished. "Wh-what...?" 

Jonathon smiled as he stepped forward to lay his hands on Bakura's shoulders. "Love conquers all, otouto." Then he pushed, sending Bakura tumbling forward and through the glass, which shattered as he hit it. Then both glass and grave robber were gone, and Horus began to cast a spell that would summon another glass so the trio on the tower could continue to watch. 

Anubis scowled at Jonathon, crossing his massive arms over his chest. "(There will come a day when you cannot help him, Hebrew.)" the god growled. "(And _then_ he will finally be mine.)" 

Jonathon smiled at him. "(Oh, I know. But today is not that day.)" 

_

Follow your dreams, but always remember me,   
I am your brother under the sun.

_

~*~

Serenity screamed as Ryou collapsed, the shield around him flickering into non-existance. She was at his side in an instant, with Yugi right behind her. She dropped to her knees and pulled him so he was laying on her lap, his head craddled against her shoulder. Yugi kneeled next to them, and a moment later Yami completed the small ring. 

"Ryou," Serenity yelled, shaking him by the shoulders. "Please Ryou, open your eyes! Speak to me!" 

Yugi felt for a pulse, and was relieved to find a strong if erratic beat under his fingers. A moment later Ryou moaned, his eyelids fluttering slightly as he crawled his way back into conciousness. He was quickly aided the rest of the way as Serenity slapped him sharply on the cheek, her sorrow evaporating instantly into anger. "Ryou Emerson Bakura, don't you _dare_ ever scare me like that again!" she said, blinking back tears. 

"I shall endevor not to..." Ryou muttered, raising a hand to rub at his red cheek. Suddenly he froze, blinking in apparent confusion. "I-I'm alive?" 

"I hope so," Yugi said, breathing a deep sigh of relief. 

Serenity had burst into relieved tears as soon as Ryou spoke, and the telepath's hair was becoming very damp indeed, not that he minded. Much. Tea was sitting on the edge of Amoura's bed, both of them sniffling happily, Tea with Julien on her lap. Madame was fanning the fainted Valeraine and muttering something in French under her breath. 

"But..." Ryou trailed off. "But I saw Death. I felt him come for me..." 

"Maybe Anubis desided to be merciful." said a low, rasping voice from behind them. "Hallo Pharaoh." 

_We are like birds of a feather,   
We are two hearts joined together._

Serenity and Yugi both shrieked and jumped at the sound of the voice, and Yami started in surprise. Ryou just sighed happily, pulling himself up so that he was leaning against Bakura's bed, his hand stretched out just enough that it rested lightly on top of Bakura's. His other arm lay folded in front of him, serving as a pillow as he rested his head on it. 

"You're going to turn this beautiful white hair gray, otouto, if you keep making me worry like that." Bakura smiled as Ryou burst into tears, and he gently pulled his hand out from under Ryou's so he could stroke his brother's hair. "Now now, don't cry Ryou, I'll be okay now. Don't cry..." 

_

We will be forever as one,   
My brother under the sun.

_

Slowly Ryou's sobs desended into hiccups, and then to a calmed silence as he was lulled into an exhausted sleep. Bakura's mouth quirked up in a smile as he continued to pet Ryou's hair, turning his gaze lazily around the room. His hands and feet still hurt with frostbite, but not nearly the excruciating pain it had been before. 

Amoura was hugging Julien happily, tears of joy running down her face as the little boy protested loudly to the affectionate treatment. Serenity looked like she wanted to be the one holding Ryou, but she'd backed off, knowing she'd get her chance eventually. Madame was just helping the recently recovered Valeraine into a chair. Tea and Yugi were chattering happily to each other, and Yami was just staring at him with an expression halfway between amazed and angry on his face. 

Bakura grinned at Yami, softening his expression as he saw the worry that had been carefully hidden in the pharaoh's eyes. "Did you miss me pharaoh?" _I know you missed me, pharaoh._

"Feh, why would I care about the fate of a tomb robber?" _Of course I did, tomb robber._

"Admit it pharaoh, you were worried!" _You care._

"Of course I wasn't!" _Of course I do._

"Your eyes say different, pharaoh." _Thank you pharaoh._

"Hn. It's your imagination." _Anytime._ [11] 

The two smiled slightly at each other, and Bakura thought back to Anubis's words. Hmph. Friendship with the pharaoh indeed. 

_

Wherever you hear the wind in the canyon.   
Wherever you see the buffalo run.   
Wherever you go, I'll be there beside you,   
'Cause you are my brother, my brother under the sun...

_

Suddenly everyone became aware of banging and yelling on the other side of the door. Bakura sighed and shifted as much as he could with Ryou asleep against him. "And those would be the doctors and nurces brought running by my otouto's stupid antics. Better let them in before they call the police, pharaoh." 

Yami nodded and did as bid, climbing to his feet and walking over to calmly answer the door. A flurry of doctors and nurces rushed in. A couple ran over to check on Amoura, but most of them froze in the doorway, staring at Bakura, who waved jauntily. "Bonjour!" 

The doctor who was apparently in charge sputtered incoherantly for some time, and then managed to choke out, "^B-but you were almost dead, monsieur!^" 

Bakura smiled softly, looking down at the slumbering Ryou. "^Sometimes all it takes is a brother's love...^" 

Several doctors were approaching him now to check over him, and one of them reached for Ryou. He was quickly stilled by Bakura's glare. "^Do not touch the boy.^" he almost growled. "^Let him sleep.^" 

The doctor's eyes widened and he nodded, hastily beating a retreat to the other side of the bed. Bakura smiled smuggly and allowed himself to be poked and prodded and pulled as the doctors checked his vitals, his I.V.s, his frozen hands and feet. Only when they came near Ryou did he snarl and growl at them. 

_

We are like birds of a feather,   
We are two hearts joined together.   
We will be forever as one,

_

The lead doctor was frowning slightly, talking to Madame in rapid fire French that Bakura could only half-follow. He heard his name a lot, and something about removal. Well good, maybe he could go home then. After several minutes Madame nodded and came over to kneel down next to Bakura, absently brushing a hand over Ryou's hair. "Er... How should I say this... Bakura, do you have your father's phone number?" 

"No, but I have the number of a phone where you can reach him. Why?" 

"Ano..." Madame frowned. "You're not a legal adult yet, so they still need parental consent to operate on you." 

Bakura nearly hit the ceiling. "_Whaaaat?!?_" 

Madame winced and looked pleadingly over at Amoura, who sighed slightly. "Bakura, R'ou 'ealed you a lot, but not enough. Instead of losing your 'ands and feet, you'll just be losing fingers and toez." 

Bakura's eyes widened, and he twitched slightly. Numbly he rattled off the number to Shaadi's cell phone, and Madame made the call since Shen didn't know a speck of French. Yami came over to sit on the edge of Bakura's bed, snickering slightly. 

"Well now, this is amusing." 

"Shut up pharaoh." 

_

My brother under the sun...   
Under the sun...   
Under the sun...   
My brother under the sun...

_

[End music]

Ryou sighed happily as he made his way back to the lands of awakedness. He was laying on something hard, but his head was pillowed by pure softness. Ah... This was the life... 

"Ryou?" 

He grunted softly, snuggling against his pillow. That sounded like Serenity, but he wasn't ready to wake up just yet... 

"Ryou! Get off you pervert!" 

Ryou's eyes snapped open to discover it _wasn't_ a pillow he'd been snuggling against. He sat up quickly, blushing bright red as Serenity stared at him with a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and pleasure. "S-Serenity! I didn't mean to, I swear! I didn't know you were my pillow! GAH! I mean-" 

Serenity giggled, still blushing. "Just don't tell Joey," she said, winking at him coyly. 

Ryou nodded sheepishly, finally taking in his surroundings. "Where are we?" 

"Some sort of a spare lounge room. Yami, Yugi, Madame, and Valeraine are off finding something to eat, but they desided not to wake you. Tea and Julien are still in talking to Amoura. Yami and I carried you in here when the nurces took Bakura off to surgery." 

"Surgery?" Ryou squeaked. "What for?!" 

Serenity sighed. She hadn't been looking forward to having to tell Ryou this. "Apparently, you were able to heal a lot of the damage in his hands and feet, but not all of it. He's still going to lose a couple fingers and toes, although the doctors aren't sure exactly how many." 

Ryou groaned and lay back on the couch he and Serenity were sitting on. "He's going to _love_ this..." he muttered, running a hand through his tangled hair. He made a face. "How long has he been in there?" 

Serenity glanced at her watch as she rummaged through her purse, looking for something. "About an hour and a half. He should be coming out any time. Aha!" She held up the hair brush triumphantly, and handed it over to Ryou. "Here." 

Ryou smiled at her wryly, pulling his long hair over his shoulder so he could get at it. "Thank you koibito." He dutifully began to work his brush through his hair, grimacing as it caught in the snarls. 

Serenity just sighed and shook her head. "You hair is so soft and thick, Ryou!" she said. "It's just not fair..." 

Ryou chuckled, but it turned into a hiss of pain as one of the tangles gave way, leaving a whole hunk of white hair in the brush. He snickered and held it out toward Serenity. "Want some?" 

Serenity whacked him gently on the shoulder and laughed. "No, you goon!" 

Ryou smiled softly, then sighed and put down the brush, leaning his head back against the wall. He rubbed at his eyes with his knuckles, then let his hands drop limply into his lap. "Serenity..." he said faintly. "Do you think Bakura would mind too terribly much if I went back to sleep?" He didn't give her a chance to answer as he slowly tipped over. Serenity grinned softly and slid out from under him, letting him lay out flat on the couch. He murmered something, and then fell into a real sleep. 

Serenity pulled up a chair to sit next to him, absently reaching forward to brush a strand of hair off his face. And there she kept watch over him, all through the long day. 

~*~

It wasn't twenty minutes later that Bakura was brought back to his room, his left hand and both feet wrapped in bandages. His right hand, however, still had all its fingers and seemed to be the only one to escape the surgeon's knife. Amoura was the only one there at the time, Tea having taken Julien to find some food. Bakura hadn't been knocked out for the surgery, only numbed and heavily doped up. As the doctors bustled around him, hooking him back up to various monitors and I.V.s, he hummed off key to himself, staring fuzzily out into space. Once the doctors had all left, Yami poked his head in. 

Seeing only Amoura and Bakura, the ex-pharaoh came in, sauntering up to Bakura with a cocky grin on his face. "Well now tomb robber, I heard you donated a few things to medical science today. Congradulations! May I call you Frodo?" 

"Lay off 'im, Yami." Amoura said, crossing her arms from the other bed. "'E's going to 'ave enough trouble once 'e comes out of it anyvay." 

Yami just shrugged, still smirking. "All I'm saying is, now that he's only got nine fingers, can I safely consider him a hobbit?" 

Amoura rolled her eyes. "Leave 'im alone. It's not 'is fault 'e's missing a finger and toes. If anyzing, it is my fault..." She looked down, and Yami came over to pat her on the shoulder. 

"It's no one's fault." he said kindly. "We all had a part to play. He's lucky. If Ryou hadn't been here, he probably would have died..." The pharaoh swallowed, trying not to think about what life would be like without the loud, obnoxious tomb robber who was quickly becoming something of a best friend. 

Amoura nodded, her eyes still down-cast. Yami grinned at her mischeiviously. "Hey, there's a lot of girls head over heels in love with Frodo. Maybe it's the fingers...?" He had no chance to finish as he ducked the pillow Amoura threw at him and fled the room, laughing. 

Amoura shook her head, smiling at the pharaoh's antics. Then she looked over toward Bakura, and her gaze softened. "Yami is right about vone zing, Bakura. Nine fingers are _very_ zexy." she giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you Bakura..." 

Bakura, still half in the daze of morphine, grinned giddily. 

"An' I loff you!" 

~*~

[1] - Starlings are actually not black birds, their wing and chest feathers range anywhere from dark blue to dark green, and have a slightly irridecent sheen to them. I actually think they're rather pretty birds, though annoying. -_-; 

[2] - In the original version, there was no cave and Bakura just dragged Amoura under a pine tree. Then I realized neither of them would probably survive that, and I kinda need them, so I changed it. ^_^; 

[3] - _kohl_ - The black or dark green paste the Egyptians used to outline their eyes and eyebrows. 

[4] - _ank_ - Ancient Egyptian, literally 'brother'. Not to be confused with _ankh_, which is the hieroglyph for life. 

[5] - Those lyrics are part of _Purgatory_, by Pat Benatar. Intrestingly enough, that's also Jonathon's theme song. 

[6] - _Sem_ priests are the priests that did the embalming and carried out all the rituals that sent the spirit of the mummy on to the afterlife. Often the high priest who oversaw the embalming would wear a wooden or plaster jackel-headed mask to represent Anubis. 

[7] - :p Yam-Yam's funny. Okay, let's see... Baka is Japanese for idiot, and chikusho and shimatta are both Japanese curse words. Fellah and fellahin are Arabic for peasent (fellah is the singular, fellahin is the plural). The mixing up of the languages thing is a sort of inside joke. :p When I get really flustered or upset, I'll call my teachers "Madame/Monsieur Sensei" and not even notice. 

[8] - Some people see Akhenaton, the Heretic Pharaoh, as a hero and a leader. I don't. I tend to see him as the reason the Eighteenth Dynasty died, the reason the greatest period of Egyptian history ended, and a bloody idiot too. *grins* Oh yeah, notice how I'm swiftly re-writing Egyptian history here? :D 

[9] - *snickers* Okay, let's see, realms cameoed... The mentions of Yugi being dead, the Shadow Mad Yami, and a realm constantly at war are allusions to _Shadow Turned Light_ and its companions, by High Crystal Guardian. The sick Yugi, insufferably hyper Yugi (loff!), and sci-fi geek Ryou all belong to Ebony Kuroneko, from our many RPs. :p The mentions of an insane murderer Ryou and realms in which the Items have been destoryed or tainted are plugs for my fic _Void Behind My Eyes_. And, finally, the mention of Ryou-the-mage springs from the countless YGO/HP X-overs on this site. :p 

[10] - Yes, for those of you curious, I _did_ just cameo Hiei, Kurama, and Koenma, from Yu Yu Hakusho (and also, coincidentaly, they're my three favorites). :p I really couldn't help it. Bakura saying that Kurama looked familiar is a slight allusion to a story I once started (but never finished) in which Bakura and Yoko Kurama were old friends, half-brothers, and partners in crime. *shrug* If anyone would like to give me some detailed info on Kurama and Hiei's past (or websites where I can find said info), I just may get back to working on it again. Oh yes, and for any of you that actually read these notes, you get a tad extra info. :p You might want to keep what you know about Roshai now in the back of your mind. This place will most definately be showing up again in the future. 

[11] - This is a little hard to explain. It's like... Yami and Bakura have their own language for talking to each other, that only they can understand. What was in quotation marks was what they _said_, but what was in italics was what they _meant_. Got it? 

()()()()() 

WSJ: 0__0 

Ryou: Jeez SJ, this is the single longest piece of writing you've ever done! 

Amoura: Oui, not even "Zee Child 'Oo Zuffers" is zis long! 

Bakura: *glaring darkly at WSJ* 

WSJ: ^^; Well, that was amusing... *laughs nervously and scoots away from Bakura* Everyone review! 

Chibi-Malik: *wanders in and holds up two mugs of... something... for SJ's inspection* Mosshead? 

WSJ: *grins and nods at him* Yup, they're all ready. Run off and deliver those for me, would you CM? 

Chibi-Malik: ^o^ Mosshead! *runs off* 

Ryou: *confused* What was that? 

WSJ: *cackles and rubs her hands together* Coffee laced with rat poison. 

Amoura, Ryou, & Bakura: O_o; Whaaaat?! 

WSJ: *snick* For Brood's director-baka and the girl plaing the role she deserves. :p I may not live close enough to protest the director's casting, but I can "send my love". *cackles again* 

Bakura: v_v That's it, I am SO out of here... 

Amoura: Right behind you! 

Ryou: Wait for me! 

WSJ: *waves* Reviews please!! And I expect LONG ones! *chases after muses* 

God bless minna-san! 


	13. Seperation Anxiety

WSJ: @_@ I know, I know, it's been way too long... But between school, the musical, and my grandfather being so sick I just haven't had time! I swear, I haven't sat down in front of my computer for a full two weeks!!! 

Bakura: Well you're here now, aren't you? 

WSJ: That I am! ^^ Hope this chapter is up to all you guy's expectations! I'm sorry for all of you who thought last chapter was too long, but I was afraid that if I split it up it wouldn't seem as powerful when you finally got to the end. There should only be one more chapter even close to that length, and it's scheduled to be chapter 15 or 16 or so. Oh yes, and Neo-chan? You can't kidnap Unmei. X_X HCG's already got him. 

Bakura: *pouts* 

WSJ: 0o; Hey minna, I've just noticed something. Whenever Joey lists off his friends, he always includes Yugi, Tea, Tristan, _and_ Ryou. However, Yugi never does. What is UP with that? Is Joey really better friends with Ryou than Yugi is? 

Bakura: Well no, but I'm always trying to steal Yugi's Puzzle. That may have some effect on what he thinks of Ryou. 

WSJ: *curiously* Really? You think so? 

Bakura: *facepalm* 

WSJ: On another note, someone asked if my deck is the same as Gwen's. My answer is: mostly. I do use the same stratagy she does, but I have a few different cards. My deck focuses less on strong 4-stars and more on knights and dragons (what with me being a fantasy-obsessed renaissance girl, and all). The trap card Needle Wall has become something of a trademark for me. I put it out nearly every duel. :p It's probably my favorite non-monster card. And, for those of you who are now curious, my favorite monster card is Robotic Knight. He's strong, looks super-spiffy, and on the anime he kicked Tristan's butt! ^_~ I also like the Witty Phantom a lot, just cuz he's so spiffy-looking. 

Bakura: -_-;; 

WSJ: ^^ And yes, minna, I _am_ still working on all my multi-chapter fics. HSWA is semi-stuck. ^^ I know what's going to happen, but it's going to be boring to write. *sigh* If I Could Kill Jounochi isn't started yet, but will be soon, if I get stuck on something and need stress relief. ^^;; A nice, dark angsty mood hasn't struck me in awhile, which probably means I'm about due. XP Therefore, VBME will be updated whenever the mood strikes. And, finally, Like a Thief is on hold while I wait for the library to cough up its copy of the YYH movie. :p Can't very well write Kurama's death if I don't know how he died, now can I? =p I've also got a vague idea going for a Rurouni Kenshin/YGO X-over, but I think I have enough stories, don't you? ^_~ It all comes from getting the entire Kyoto arc on DVD from the library and watching it straight through with only breaks for bathroom and snacks... 

Bakura: ¬¬ You actually believe people read these notes? 

WSJ: v_v; No. *sigh* On to the fic! 

Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill... If you don't know who owns what by now, you need to re-read the rest of this series. 

**Important Note:** Okay, I want to set one thing straight here. The people I've cameoed so far are people who have won contests for me. Lately I've had people e-mailing me asking for cameos. Do I have time to write in a million cameos for anyone who asks? No, I don't. Period. Please do not ask to get cameoed, because from here on I'll just say no. The two people I've already said yes to will get their spots, but anyone else don't even bother asking, okay? Arigato. 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 13 - Seperation Anxiety 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

*Yami just stares, shocked and distressed at the mere notion of washing a soulroom.*   
~(DarkGatomon, As If!) 

"And how is Frodo feeling this morning?" 

"Yami, I'm warning you..." 

Yugi chuckled and shook his head. Yami had been teasing Bakura all morning, and Bakura had been half-way tolerating it. Or at least, he'd only tried to strangle Yami with his I.V. cords twice. 

It was almost noon, and Madame and Valeraine should be back any time with lunch for everyone from a nearby fast food resturant. Earlier that morning Amoura and Bakura had been moved upstairs to a regular room and out of the ICU. There was a spare bed that no one was using at the moment, and so Ryou was stretched out on it and asleep. Bakura had to admit he was a little worried that his hikari was sleeping so much. Serenity had refused to tell them exactly what had happened in Egypt, claiming that Ryou would have to tell them himself. At the moment she was sitting on a chair next to Ryou's bed, holding her sweetheart's hand with a small smile on her face. Tea and Julien were perched on the edge of Amoura's bed, and Yami and Yugi were sharing the small couch that sat against the opposite wall. 

The door opened, then, to admit Madame and Valeraine. Both of them looked slightly frazzled, and were carrying several bags apiece. Yugi and Tea jumped up to help them lay the food out on one of the tables as Serenity gently shook Ryou awake so he could eat. 

"Reporters still out there, huh?" Yugi asked cheerfully as he nibbled on a French fry. 

Madame gave him a flat look as she tried to smooth out her hair. "You need to ask?" 

Yugi chuckled. The "Arc Scandel" had been on TV so much in France and Japan lately, that as soon as two of the major players showed up in a Swiss hospital reporters had flocked to it like bears to honey. So far they'd been kept out of the hospital itself, but the police were having to help with crowd control and it was becoming a major nuisance. 

"Someone'll have to go down and make a statement sooner or later," Bakura grumbled as Tea handed him a burger. "Have you guys seen the latest news coverage?" 

Both the women shook their heads, so Bakura grabbed the remote control off the bedside table and clicked on the TV that hung from the ceiling. Everyone rearranged themselves so they could see, except for the obvious exception of Ryou. The newscast was in French, though Madame supplied a running translation. 

"-French government declares that they are fully willing to forgive and forget the desecration of their national monument. Said the Prime Minister this morning, 'If that young Japanese man can put aside his differences and save the life of a French maid, then we, as adults, should be able to do the same'. It was also discovered that the writing on the Arc was not blood as previously thought, but is instead a water-soluable spray paint. This was discovered when it rained in Paris earlier today, causing the paint to smear and run. And so ladies and gentlemen, there was no harm done, and we have all been taught a very valuable lesson in heroism and love by Yami Bakura, who is even now in a hospital recovering from the injuries he attained while bravely saving the life of Amoura Letazaut just two nights ago." 

A picture appeared on the screen then, one that had been taken last winter. It was at Tokyo U's winter banquet. In the foreground was the table that Yugi-tachi had all sat at, and in the background, the dance floor. At that particular moment Bakura, Amoura, and Gwen had been the only ones at the table, everyone else had been off dancing. If Bakura remembered right, Gwen had badgered them for over ten minutes until the two agreed to let her take a picture of them together. The result was this, Bakura in his tux and Amoura in a beautiful light pink dress, leaning into each other and grinning at the camera. 

As they saw the picture, nearly everyone in the hospital room let out a simoltanious "Awwww..." Amoura blushed, and Bakura, who'd just taken a sip of his drink, nearly sprayed soda across the room. "What the hell! Where'd they get _that_ picture?!" 

Yami tried his best to look innocent. 

Tea shook her head at the immaturity of the two ancient spirits. "Well anyway, Bakura's right. Someone's going to have to go down and talk to those reporters." 

"I will," Madame volenteered with a sigh. "The French, at least, know who I am, so they may listen to me." 

Yugi stood up from his seat, a determined look on his face. "And the Japanese know who I am. I'll go with you." 

"Yugi, no," Yami looked concerned. "They think you're the one who valdelized the Arc." 

Yugi smiled at him. "Don't worry Yami, they said they were willing to forgive and forget. Especially since you used water-based spray paint. I'll just go and make a formal apology, and everything should be all right." 

Yami didn't look convinced, but he nodded. 

"Shall we go now?" Madame asked, glancing at Yugi questioningly. The duelist shrugged and nodded, and the two stood to leave as the others wished them luck. 

Once they'd left, Bakura muted the TV and gave Yami a funny look. "Why _did_ you use water-based paint?" 

Yami had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "I didn't know I had. I was drunk, okay? How was I supposed to tell the difference between water-based and oil-based paint?" The others smothered laughter as Yami pouted. 

"Hey, turn zee TV up!" Amoura said suddenly, waving for the others to be quiet. "Grandmama and Yugi are on!" 

Quickly Bakura turned up the volume and everyone gathered around the two beds to watch the live report, with Amoura translating from the French. "It appears zat Amanda Letazaut, grandmother of the injured Amoura, and Yugi Moto, the supposed villain," Amoura had to pause as Tea and Serenity held Yami down to keep him from charging out and ripping the reporter to shreds "Have come to make an official ztatement. Let'z listen 'as 'istory is made." 

Bakura rolled his eyes and turned up the volume. "History, he says!" 

Amid the flashes of cameras from two countries, Madame and Yugi were standing patiently on the hospital's front steps as reporters scrambled to shove microphones within range of their voices. Once things had settled down slightly, Madame spoke in French to the assembled masses. Amoura was just about to translate for the Japanese-speakers when Yugi piped up. 

"All statements will be repeated in French by Madame-san and Japanese by myself," he said. "For the benefit of newscrews from both Japan and France." 

More flashbulbs went off, and Madame and Yugi exchanged nods of readiness. This time it was Yugi who spoke up first. 

"I want to express my sincerest apologies to the French government, as well as to the ambassador and his daughter. I was not myself at the time of the acts last week, and the Japanese government was not involved in any way whatsoever. I give you my humblest apologies, and I promise you it'll never happen again." For a moment he seemed to glare directly into the camera of whatever news station the group in the room were watching, and Yami shivered slightly. Then Yugi gave a huge genki smile and bowed to the reporters as Madame repeated his message in French. 

"Aw, Yugi's such a cutie," Tea said, giggling. "No way they can hold anything criminal against a face like that." 

"A face like this, however..." Bakura said suggestively, poking Yami in the side. 

The ancient pharaoh glared at him. "Watch it Frodo..." 

Ryou chuckled. "Yugi should be a politician, if he managed to pull a speech like that just out of the air." 

"Are people under five feet allowed to run for office?" Bakura wondered good-naturedly, earning him a light whack from both Tea and Yami. 

Amoura shushed them again. "Bakura, grandmama is talking about us!" 

Bakura choked as Yami and Ryou snorted laughter. "Whaaat?!" 

After Madame finished, Yugi took up the Japanese translation. "Two nights ago Yami Bakura and Amoura Letazaut went skiing in the Alps, unaware that a snowstorm was on its way. They took shelter in a cave, and Bakura was able to start a small fire, which probably saved their lives." 

Bakura snorted, a smile curving his lips and he patted Ryou's arm. "Fire saved us my foot..." 

"They were found nearly eighteen hours later and flown to the hospital you see behind me." Yugi continued. "Amoura's right leg is broken in two places, and Bakura has lost a finger and three toes to frostbite. However, both will make full recoveries, and return to Japan to attend Tokyo University in the fall. It's nothing short of amazing how quick a recovery these two brave souls have made. It can only be called a miracle." 

"Or a telepath," muttered several of Ryou's friends in unison, as said boy sweatdropped slightly. 

On screen, Yugi grinned mischieviously. "So much good has come from this near tragedy. France and Japan have reconciled their differences. I've learned to avoid alcohal. My friends and I can now ski without falling down. Mostly. And perhaps most important of all, two people have found love." 

Madame turned to look at Yugi in surprise as the shorter man began ad-libbing onto the end of her speech. In the room, Amoura paled and Bakura's eyes widened. Ryou, Tea, and Yami broke into hysterical (if slightly smothered) giggling. Yugi opened his mouth to say more, his eyes sparkling in mirth as the reporters leaned forward to catch his every word. Bakura's face turned the same color as his hair, and then went beet red. Ignoring Valeraine and Amoura's startled protests he struggled to get out of bed, wincing and cursing as his bandaged feet hit the floor. 

A moment later he felt himself lifted gently, and turned his head to see Ryou glowing slightly, grinning. Yami ducked under Bakura's arm and helped the ex-tomb robber to hobble to the window, trying to keep Bakura's injured feet off the floor as much as he could with Ryou's help. "Believe me," the pharaoh said in answer to Bakura's questioning look. "I wouldn't want aibou to announce my blossoming love affair on intercontinental TV either. If I had one, that is..." he added sheepishly. 

Half-sitting and half-leaning on the windowsil, Bakura fumbled with the catch and flung the window open just as Yugi was about to speak. "YUGI MOTO!!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, watching as over a hundred cameras swiveled in his direction. Ignoring them for now, he shook a fist at the tiny figure on the steps three stories below him. "DON'T YOU DARE!!" 

Behind him, everyone was rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter as on the TV the baffled newscaster tried to figure out just who or what was hanging out one of the hospital windows and screaming in Japanese at Yugi Moto. Several of the Japanese reporters recognised the white hair from pictures of Ryou and Bakura that had been in newspapers following Battle City, and a whisper went through the reporters like a wave. "It's Yami Bakura!" 

Bakura sweatdropped slightly and blinked as fifty flashbulbs went off nearly at once, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall out the window. Chuckling, Yami and Ryou pulled him back inside as Madame and Yugi finished up their statements, wisely not mentioning any more about Amoura and Bakura admiting love for one another. 

After helping Bakura get settled into bed once again, Valeraine stood up and told Amoura that she was going to go downstairs and call some of Amoura's reletives, taking Julien with her. "Oui maman," Amoura answered, smiling as her mother and little brother headed for the door. "I zink she's just tired of not knowing vhat ve're zaying." she confided to the others, causing chuckles to run around the room. On her way out Valeraine met Yugi and Madame coming back upstairs, and Madame decided to join her daughter-in-law to give Yugi-tachi some time alone. 

As soon as Yugi stepped into the room he was assalted by a glare from a certain white-haired tomb robber. He sweatdropped sheepishly. "Err..." 

"And just _what_ do you think you were talking about down there?" Bakura would have sounded a lot more menacing if he hadn't been wrapped in bandages and lying on a hospital bed. Ryou had to stifle a giggle at his ex-yami's voice, earning him an evil-eyed glare of his own, to which he only smiled in reply. 

"Couldn't help it," Yugi said, his face breaking into a grin. "Too good of an opportunity to pass up." 

"You've been hanging around your yami too long if you're actually _looking_ for opportunities to embarrass me..." Bakura grumbled. 

Yami and Yugi snickered, and Ryou grinned. The telepath went to pat Bakura on the shoulder, then grimaced as his shirt stretched across his back. "Ouch..." 

Bakura's jaw shut with a snap and his stared hard at Ryou. "Ouch?" 

Ryou chuckled a little at Bakura's obvious concern, gingerly rubbing one of his shoulders. "I don't tan, oniisan, I burn. And Egyptian sun is one of the worst for pale people like me." 

"He's red as a lobster from the neck down." Serenity said, smiling slightly. "His cheeks and nose too, if you look." 

"I was wondering why he looked so flushed." Tea admitted. "I figured it was because he was tired." 

"Nope. Sunburn." Ryou assured her. 

"Why can't you just heal it?" Bakura asked, frowning. Something was wrong here. Even after using so much energy to heal his hands and feet the day before, Ryou shouldn't be too exhausted to heal just a few sunburns. "What happened in Egypt that we should know about?" 

"I-" Ryou's voice faultered as he thought about Mahaado, and he shivered slightly as fear started to build up inside of him again. Trapped in the dark, true dark, with Mahaado's hands closing around his neck... 

Yami and Bakura both saw the sudden panic on his face, and exchanged worried glances. They already knew that Mahaado was involved in this somehow, and if Ryou's reaction was any indication, it wasn't in a good way. Bakura propped himself up on his elbows, reaching out his bandaged left hand to lightly touch Ryou's shoulder. "Otouto, we're right here for you. You have to tell us what happened." 

Ryou took a deep breath, trying to shake off his fear of the magician who was a continent away. "I-I arrived in Egypt in the morning..." 

~*~

Duke paused by the door to the house, watching the news through the open doorway. He was dressed once again in his blue and white priest's robes, and was in the middle of sweeping the courtyard. At the moment, he was the only one at the shrine. Grampa was gone somewhere, and Rei was out with her friends. There weren't even any customers at the shrine. An eerie silence had decended over Tokyo. Not even the air was stirred by wind today. Rei's pet crows, Phoebos and Deimos, were sitting on top of the _torii_, occationally cawing at him. 

(A/N: A _torii_ is the red Shinto gate you see in front of shrines and temples. Two good examples are Rei's temple from Sailor Moon (obviously) as well as the Masaki shrine on Tenchi Muyo) 

Duke cocked an eyebrow as the news channel cut in live to a certain Swiss hospital, and the cheerful face of Yugi Moto popped onto the television. Even though he had the TV set to the American CNN station (which provided English subtitles along the bottom for both the French and Japanese), they were still broadcasting coverage of the 'Arc Scandel' (after all, if France and Japan decided to go to war, the Americans had to know where to stick their noses). 

If a note may be inserted here, Duke was a businessman. He spoke English fluantly, along with the obvious Japanese. He liked watching CNN because he dabbled a little in the American stock market, and CNN always had it running across the bottom of the screen along with the news. Besides, Americans were so funny in the way they slanted foreign affairs. 

Duke ran a critical eye over the figures as his major stock broker ran across the bottom of the screen and he listened with half an ear to Yugi. It wasn't like he was saying anything that Duke didn't already knew from Tea's second e-mail earlier, anyway. Hmm... II... There it was. Up six points. Not bad for a company owned by a dead guy.[1] 

"...And perhaps most important of all, two people have found love." 

Duke's eyebrows shot up and he turned his attention fully to Yugi, who seemed to be grinning a little more mischieviously than usual. Someone was in love? This was news to Duke. Could he mean Serenity and Ryou? No, they'd been officially "in love" since last Christmas. Did Yugi mean himself and Tea? Hmm... 

Duke's eyebrows rose further (if, indeed, that was possible) as he noticed one of the windows on the third story of the hospital opening. When the camera zoomed in on a certain white haired ex-yami leaning out the window and shouting and shaking his fists at Yugi, Duke couldn't help the little snort of laughter that escaped him. Amoura and Bakura must've finally admitted to each other what everyone else had known since last winter. About time, too! 

Duke's smile slowly faded as he absently turned to look up at the sky. It was dark, too dark for a late July afternoon. It looked like it was going to storm again, yet there was no wind. The air was hot, and pressed down on top of Duke like a blanket. The clouds, which were so dark in some places that they looked almost purple, seemed to swirl and thicken around downtown Juuban. Lightning flashed across the sky, and Duke bit his lip. This morning the skies had been clear, and a brisk wind had carried the promise of a cool day. Then it had all suddenly changed. Something wasn't right... 

Carrying his broom with him, as if he expected to fend off some attacker, Duke climbed the steps to the shrine and went inside to turn off the TV with a snap, cutting off the babble of English news in mid-ramble. Irratibly he brushed his hair away from his face, not surprised to find it damp with sweat. 

"Duke!" 

Duke stepped back outside to see Naru and Umino, two of Usagi's friends, running up the steps to the shrine. Neither of them were Sailor Senshi, but they'd been friends of Usagi and Ami and Makoto for a long time. Duke had gotten to know them both over the past month he'd been staying at the shrine. The two younger teens skidded to a halt in front of Duke, and Naru tucked an errant strand of flaming red hair behind one ear as she leaned over, hands on her knees. "We were so afraid you were with Usagi-tachi!" she panted. "They're in trouble, I know it!" 

"You feel it too?" Duke asked, and suddenly realized that he had his broom in a white-knuckled grip as he stared at the forbidding clouds. 

Umino nodded, his eyes worried behind his coke-bottle glasses. "They're fighting again. It's really big this time..." 

The other two were silent as together they stood and watched as lighting crackled and thunder roared, but no rain fell. Somewhere out there, the Sailor Senshi were fighting for their lives again. But what was the cost? All three of them had heard the Senshi talking about Sailor Saturn, and what would happen if she awoke. Was that what was happening now? And what about this Pharaoh 90, who Ryou called the True Pharaoh? Apparently he was trying to find a way to enter the world in his real body, instead of the human vessel he used now (although no one had been able to discover who this "vessel" was). Not to mention the fact that he had all of the Shadow Realm (or Dark Kingdom, as the Senshi called it) at his beck and call. And as for those three "Outer Senshi", who fought against Sailor Moon instead of with her... 

Naru, Umino, and Duke sat down on the shrine's porch and settled themselves for the long wait, none of them ever taking their eyes from the roiling clouds. 

"Oh kami-sama, protect them..." Naru whispered, one tear slipping down her cheek. Neither of the boys failed to notice it, and Umino squeezed her hand. 

They didn't say anything. 

There was nothing more to be said. 

~*~

"I wonder if we can make a break for it?" Keith whispered to Tristan as the two of them were woman-handled through the center of the village. Once again, people, mostly women, were crowding around and whispering to each other. A few of them were snickering, and a couple more seemed to be drooling. 

Tristan shook his head. "Won't work, I've tried. These chicks are strong. They don't call themselves Amazons for nothing." 

The two males sighed in tandem as they were pushed into a dimmly lit building that seemed to be a council hall of some kind. At the other end of the long, low room was a throne, where a tall woman with long dark purple hair sat. She was dressed just as scantily as the rest of the Amazons, but her dress seemed to be woven from pure gold thread. The throne sat on a raised dais, and a girl about Tristan's age was sitting on the step calmly. She was dressed in the same type of clothing as the rest, except that hers was pure black. Her long lavendar hair was left loose to cascade around her shoulders, and it took Tristan a moment to realize it was Miho sitting there. 

"R-ribbon-chan!" he stuttered, a deep blush coming to his cheeks. "You've come to rescue me! I knew you would!" 

Miho looked slightly disgusted. It was the woman on the throne, however, who spoke. "My daughter has informed me that she knows of you two. Usually, when a male is captured by the Amazons, he is kept for breeding and heavy labor purposes. However, Miho says that were you two to reproduce with our warriors, the resulting children would be too stupid to walk upright. So it seems we must let you be on your ways." 

"Hey!" Keith yelled indignantly. "I ain't stupid, okay?" 

"Yeah right," Miho said, scowling at him from her place at her mother's feet. "Like we'd really believe that! Now get out!" 

The Amazon guards unlocked the chains from Keith and Tristan, and stepped back to let them go. Tristan, instead of making for the door, ran toward Miho. "I knew you'd save me, my darling Ribbon-chan!" 

"Oh God!" Miho made a face as Tristan glomped her. Trying to fend him off with one hand, she turned to face her mother. "What am I supposed to do?!" 

Her mother seemed to be struggling to hold in laughter. "You are dismissed, daughter. Take that baboon back to Japan with you. You'd need to leave soon for school anyway." 

Keith had already left, so Miho stood up, grumbling about having to travel with Tristan. Tristan, of course, couldn't have been happier if Duke had died. 

(^^; Tristan-bashing is fun, eh? Sorry, I can't help it. *wanders off muttering about idiots with pointed hair*) 

~*~

It was Ishtar's turn, so he drew a card. He tried not to smile and darted a quick glance at Gwen's monsters. If he played Gwen's pride right... "I place a monster in face down defencive possition, and end my turn." 

Gwen grinned and drew another card, but then she frowned. One of her magic cards. With no monsters in her hand, she'd have to settle for attacking with the ones already on the field. And she could, too, since Syne's Swords had worn off after Ishtar's turn ended. (Some magic cards had had their effects altered for double duels, and Swords of Revealing Light was only in play for one turn now, instead of the usual three) "Maha Vailo, attack and destroy Ishtar's face down card!" Ishtar started laughing hystericly, and right away she knew she'd made a mistake. It was too late to call her monster back, though. She'd have to suffer through whatever Ishtar had hidden. 

She winced when the card flipped to reveal a Man Eater Bug, and her Maha Vailo attacked, sending them both to the graveyard. The crowd roared in appreciation of the move, and Malik winced too. For a moment Gwen debated using her beefed-up Witty Phantom to attack Syne's monster, but decided she'd better not. She'd already had enough nasty face down surprises for this turn. Let Malik deal with whatever Syne had hidden. 

Syne drew a card and smiled. Well finally! "~I play Dark Hole!~" 

Gwen cussed at her in Japanese, and Syne couldn't help but giggle a little. It meant sacrificing her face down card, but it was well worth it if it meant getting rid of Gwen's super-powered Phantom. It was only a moment later that she realized her partner Ishtar had activated a trap. 

"I activate White Hole, protecting my own and Syne's monsters from the effects of Dark Hole." 

Gwen cursed again, and Malik groaned. Still smiling serenely, Syne flipped her face down card, which was a Hibikime, and had it attack Gwen directly, causing the American to kick herself for not destroying it when she'd had the chance, and to rant and curse more than she already was. Syne cheerfully ended her turn, passing the baton off to Malik. 

The Egyptian drew a card, and seemed pleased with whatever the result was. "I place a monster in face down defence and end my turn." 

It was Ishtar's turn again, and he grinned at Malik as he drew. "My, doing a lot of defending, are we?" he teased. Malik snapped at him in Arabic, only making Ishtar laugh again. His eyes dancing with mirth, the ex-psychopath played a monster. "I summon Big Shield Gardna, in defence mode, and end my turn." 

Gwen bit her lip as she drew. She didn't know why Ishtar was defending, but it couldn't be good. Curse it all! She hadn't drawn a monster card, which meant she could do nothing to help Malik defend their life points. Well, not _nothing_... She smiled down at the two face down cards she still had on the field and ended her turn. 

Syne drew, and made a small pleased sound in her throat. "~I summon Fire Princess (1300/1500) in attack mode! Now, attack Malik's face-down card!~" 

"~Hold on there Syne!~" Gwen shouted in English. "~Activate trap, Skull Dice!~" 

Syne frowned as the dice was rolled, and winced as it brought Fire Princess's attack down to 500. She winced again when Malik flipped his card in responce to the attack, and she saw it was a Mystical Elf. Ouch. She sighed slightly as her LP went down by 1500. It could be worse. She was still ahead of Malik and Gwen. 

Malik drew, but apparently didn't find anything he liked. Exchanging a wary glance with Gwen, he ended his turn without playing anything. 

Ishtar's face split into a manic grin as his turn came again, a grin which made Malik shiver in rememberance of the "old days". Ishtar drew his card, and started cackling in delight. "I play Change of Heart, to bring Malik's Mystical Elf under my control!" As he played the card onto his Duel Disc, Malik's Elf obeidiantly went to his side of the field. Malik's face took on a look of utter panic as he realized what Ishtar was about to do. Gwen didn't fail to notice the look on his face. "What's wrong?" she asked him, forced to yell over the sudden roar of the crowds. 

"I sacrifice Mystical Elf, my Big Shield Gardna, and Syne's Hibikime and Fire Princess to summon forth one of the most awesome creatures the world has ever known! Come to me, Golden Dragon of the Sun's Full Face, beloved of Aten and Amun-Ra! I summon you from your eternal slumber to do my bidding, and I offer you these four creatures to appease your appetite! Come to me, _Winged Dragon of Ra!!!!_" 

Over the roaring of the crowds and the sudden wind, Gwen could just barely make out Malik's stunned words around the pounding of her heart in her ears. 

"It's all over..." 

Gwen: 2250   
Syne: 4500   
Malik: 3900   
Ishtar: 5150 

~*~

"A _GODDESS?!?_" 

Ryou smiled for the first time since he'd started his story, and next to him Serenity laughed. Yami made a strangled sound that was actually quite amusing, if any of the others had noticed. Amoura and Tea looked like fish their eyes were so wide, and Yugi was apparently trying to decide whether or not he was supposed to bow to Ryou. Bakura made a muffled little yelp sound that was just as amusing as Yami's, and leveled a finger at Ryou. "You lie!" he stammered, his eyes wide. "I would have known!" 

Ryou laughed a little and shook his head. "Not necissarily. Okaasama was mortal the entire time you and I knew her as 'mother', so you wouldn't have sensed anything unusual." 

"Oh my god..." Yugi mumbled, "My best friend is a god..." 

Ryou blushed a little. "Only half-god, Yugi-kun..." 

Yami seemed to shake himself out of his shock. "Still," he said thoughtfully "That explains a lot... Would you continue, Ryou?" 

The tail end of Ryou's story was cut off as Yami's cell phone rang loudly. He sweatdropped slightly as the others gave him hard looks. 

"Isn't that thing supposed to be off while you're in here?" Bakura asked skepticly as Yami pulled it out. 

Yami had the grace to look sheepish. "Sort of..." Ignoring the rolling eyes of the others, he hit the talk button and put the phone to his ear, half-turning away from the others as he listened to the person on the other end. "Hello?" 

Of all the people he expected to be calling him, Mai Valentine was not one of them. This was the reason he nearly dropped the phone when she spoke. "Yami? It's Mai." 

"M-Mai-san?" he asked, aware that the others were all staring at him intently. "How'd you get my number?" 

Mai seemed distracted, and didn't crack a joke like she usually would. "Tea gave it to me," she said. "Yami, something's happened." 

Yami sobered immediately, glancing back at Ryou and Serenity. The girl looked surprised at hearing that it was Mai on the other end, and then she immediately began to get worried. Ryou put an arm around her, and Yami turned his concentration back to his conversation. "Are you okay? What is it?" 

Now Mai sounded on the verge of tears, and Yami's concern for her and the others back in Japan grew. "It's J-joey. He, he tried," she stopped and hiccuped, and Yami cut in. 

"Mai, it's okay, calm down. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened." Yami glanced back at Serenity again. 

There was a slight buzzing sound on the other end of the phone, and for a moment Yami thought he'd been cut off. Then a masculine voice came on. "Yami? That you?" 

"It's me, Scott," Yami answered, his brows drawing together in a frown. "What's happened?" 

"Mai's a little hysterical right now," Scott said, and Yami thought he sounded tired and worried and more than a little stressed out. "Joey fought a Kyoto gang leader and won, but just barely. He's hurt pretty bad, although the doctors say he'll recover just fine as long as there's no infection. He got slashed lightly across the chest, but the docs say that's nothing compared to where he got stabbed in the side. Mai wanted to call and make sure you guys knew." 

"Thanks Scott," Yami said, slightly numb. So many of his friends were suffering right now... Old friends _and_ new ones... "Some of us may be coming home early then. You said you're still in Kyoto?" 

Scott confirmed and relayed the name and address of the hospital where Joey was, as well as the number for both his and Mai's cell phones, all of which Yami dutifully wrote down. Then they said their goodbyes and Yami hung up. He turned to face the expectant and worried faces of his friends and sighed deeply. "We have a problem." 

"Several, I'd say," Ryou said softly from where he was sitting with Serenity, gently rubbing her back. Yami realized that Ryou must have been listening in on his conversation with Scott, and nodded at the telepath to show he didn't mind. 

"Yes, several," the pharaoh confirmed with another sigh. "I'm not exactly sure of the details, because Scott was in a hurry, but Joey's been badly hurt." 

Serenity gasped and Tea and Amoura cried out in shock at the same time Bakura asked sharply "How bad?" and Yugi squealed "What _happened_?" 

Yami held up his hands for silence. "As far as I can tell, Joey got in a fight with a gang leader and barely won. He was slashed across the chest and stabbed in the side, Scott said. The doctors are sure he'll make a full recovery as long as infection doesn't set in." 

Serenity was trembling and trying not to cry, while at the same time clinging to Ryou fiercely as if she were afraid he would slip out of her grasp. "I have to go to him!" she said, her voice shaky but determined. 

Ryou soothed her gently, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him. "Shh, shh, koibito, it's okay, he'll be okay..." Serneity whimpered, but lay her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. A moment later she was asleep. 

Bakura looked at Ryou sharply. "Otouto..." 

Ryou smiled slightly and shook his head. "She's much better off asleep than hysterical. Rest will calm her down, and then she can make her decisions," he said softly. Then he sighed and shook his head again, his ponytail shivering across his back. "But she's right. She needs to be back in Japan with Joey." 

"Me too." Yugi said, a determined look on his face. "Joey's my best friend besides you, Ryou. I've _got_ to go be there with him!" 

The room went quiet as the implications of what Yugi had just said began to sink in. Tea bit her lip and looked at Amoura, and Bakura and Yami locked eyes before Yami broke away to look down at Yugi. "Aibou..." 

"I know," Yugi whispered, dropping his eyes to his lap. "I know you have to go to Egypt. But you've been spending so much time away from the Puzzle lately, I thought..." 

Yami smiled at him and took Yugi's chin in his hands, turning his hikari to look at him. "Aibou, I am needed in Egypt, but _you_ are needed in Japan. I am becoming more mortal every day, and perhaps this is why. If we're to be so far apart, let's consider it a test of how far I can go from the magic of the Puzzle. You're forgetting Yugi, I have magic of my own. I'll be all right." 

Yugi looked at him with slightly watery eyes. "I don't like the idea of us being seperated," he whispered. 

Yami drew him into a hug, and Yugi lay his head on his yami's shoulder. "There may not be a choice. Bakura and I are obviously needed in Egypt. I doubt Amoura wants to travel until she has to, and you and Serenity should be with Joey." 

"I'm staying with Amoura," Tea spoke up as the Motos gently pulled away from each other and sat up straight on the couch. "We talked to Madame about it last night. We'll stay in Paris for the rest of the summer, then fly back to Tokyo just before school starts." 

"And I'm going back to Egypt." 

The room went quiet again, but this time the silence was heavier. Bakura frowned at Ryou. "You don't have to, Ryou. You could go back to Japan with Yugi and Serenity." 

Ryou's eyes narrowed slightly. "No. As soon as you get released from the hospital, you and Yami and I are flying to Egypt. I have to see this through to its end." 

There was such conviction in Ryou's voice, Bakura hesitated. But there was fear there, too, fear of Mahaado, lurking where only Bakura could see it, deep in Ryou's eyes, in the way he held his hands, the way he sat. "Ryou, no one can fault you for being frightened, after what Mahaado put you through. Just go back to Japan and save yourself the heartache. Yami and I can handle it." 

Unexpectantly, Ryou rounded on his brother. "Don't treat me like a child, Bakura! I am _not_ scared!" he snapped, blind eyes narrowed to almost slits. "I'm not _allowed_ to be scared!" 

Bakura growled, giving in to a sudden burst of anger as he snapped back, "Maybe I'd stop _treating_ you like a child if you stopped _acting_ like one!" 

Ryou hissed, and the next words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "At least I'm not merely mortal!" 

Bakura stiffened as if he'd been slapped, and Ryou instantly regretted his words, his anger fading as quickly as it had come. "Oh Bakura, I didn't mean..." 

"Yes you did," Bakura said quietly. "But you're right." 

Ryou broke off mid-apology. "Hunh?" 

"You're right," Bakura repeated. "I'm merely mortal. And you aren't," he sighed deeply. "And that's why, I suppose, you're needed in Egypt." 

Ryou smiled and leaned against Bakura, both their anger vaporated like mist in sunshine. "I'm sorry Bakura, I guess I was being a little childish..." 

Bakura leaned over to lay a gentle kiss against his hair. "Nonsense." 

"So it's agreed?" Yami asked, uncomfortably breaking up the mushy moment. "We're all going our seperate ways?" 

Silence came over the room again as they all looked at each other. "Yeah," Yugi said quietly, "I guess... we are." 

~*~

It was long after midnight, and Umino and Naru were both asleep, leaning up against each other and sagging back against the wall of the shrine. Duke had covered them with a light blanket, but he couldn't settle down enough to sleep himself. So instead he paced restlessly across the courtyard and back again like some kind of caged tiger. Grampa had returned around ten, and gone to bed soon after, though he left a lantern lit on the porch for Duke. 

Duke sighed and threw a frustrated glare at the sky, wringing his ponytail in agitation. What could possibly be _taking_ them so long?! He grimaced and made himself sit down, resting his head back against one of the collumns that held up the porch roof. Not having realized how tired he was, he was asleep within a few moments despite his worry. 

_He stood in front of a throne, and though he could see a figure reclining in the chair, he couldn't make out any features besides that it was a male. The man in the throne seemed not to notice him, and was howling in rage and pain and cursing the Sailor Senshi. Suddenly he stilled, sensing Duke for the first time, and he leaned forward. Duke backed up a step, finding himself suddenly swamped by an irrational fear of this being, whoever he was. Despite that Duke couldn't see his face or eyes, he had the distinct impression that this man was staring into his very soul. _

'Yes...' the man mused, and Duke's heart pounded in his throat at the cruel coldness in his tone. 'Yes, I thought so. You are one of them.' 

"One of them?" Duke asked, somehow finding the strength to keep his voice steady. He tried to back up another step, anything to get away from this cold-hearted man, but he found he could go no further, his back was against a wall. 

The man seemed surprised, and then vaguely annoyed, as if he hadn't thought Duke would be able to answer back. 'One of the chosen,' he sneered. 'One who follows that Heretic, Atemu, and that worthless brat, the supposed Child of Fate. One who can feel the heart beating inside the sealed monsters, and can summon them in times of dire need. One that I shall eliminate.' 

Duke shivered again at the sound of his voice, his throat momentarily closed in fear. But then a fierce loyalty rose up inside him, to Yami and to Ryou, his friends. "Ryou's the strongest person I know, and he's going to kick your ass back to the Shadow Realm! And as for Yami, or as you call him, Atemu, he was no heretic! It's YOU_ who's the false pharaoh!" For he'd finally figured out who this man was. It could only be the True Pharaoh, Pharaoh 90, the arch-nemesis of both Ryou Bakura and the Sailor Senshi. Oh gods, and he was standing up to him... _

The True Pharaoh hissed in rage, rising from the throne although his face was still heavily in shadow. 'I am no false pharaoh! No mere mortal! Your friends the Sailor Senshi may have beaten me back this time, murdered my precious Lady 9, but I will triumph in the end! I will_ kill Ryou Bakura, and drain him of his power for my own purposes. And none of you can stop me!' _

Although he felt sick to his stomach at the thought of trying to bully down the man whose servants Ryou had trouble defeating with help, Duke couldn't let himself back down now. "You know what? You sound like a bad fantasy RPG villain. Ryou's going to have no trouble kicking your tail in the next time you meet!" 

Apparently driven to the point of rage, the Pharaoh roared something unintelligible and threw out a hand toward Duke. As the dice-master saw the dark energy start to form in the false lord's palm, he remembered what the villain had said about being able to summon monsters in times of dire need, and fleetingly wished he'd brought his dueling deck with him. Yugi and Ryou had done it enough times... 

Things seemed to move in slow motion as Duke jammed his hands into his pockets, franticly searching for anything that might help. His seeking hands grasped one of the dice he always carried around, and he pulled it out with some idea to flick it at the True Pharaoh like he had with the Daimon that attacked Rei. But this wasn't a normal dice, it was one of his Dungeon Dice. One of the black Item dice, and it seemed to be pulsing slightly against his palm. Almost like a... a heartbeat. Duke knew that Yugi (along with Yami, Joey, the Bakuras, and a couple others) believed there was something called the "Heart of the Cards", that every monster in Duel Monsters had its own heart and soul, its own self. Dungeon Dice Monsters used the same monsters as Duel Monsters... So was there such a thing as "Heart of the Dice" too? 

Duke, with only a vague idea of what would happen next, threw it down in front of him. As the little die hit the ground, it seemed to explode in a burst of light and a shower of rainbow sparks. "Dimention the Dice!" The light expanded, and became a glittering Mirror Wall in front of Duke, blocking the True Pharaoh's attack. Not a moment too soon, either. Duke couldn't see through the clouded and distorted surface of the Mirror Wall very well, but the Pharaoh's scream of rage and pain was all the indication he needed. 

Slightly proud of himself, though thouroughly exhausted from his brief stint to the Shadow Realm (for all he thought it was a dream), Duke slipped into deeper sleep. 

~*~

[1] I don't play the stock market, so excuse my ignorance on the terms. II was supposed to be the little abbreviation thingy that they use for businesses. ^_~ Based on that, anyone care to guess where Duke holds stocks? :p Keep this fact in mind, it'll be showing up again. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: Yeah yeah, so Duke didn't actually summon a monster... And hey! I actually gave a dream/vision to someone besides Ryou! ^_^ Aren't you proud of me? 

Bakura: *flatly* No. 

WSJ: *sweatdrops* Ah, well, be that as it may... Hey, is anyone watching that new show on Cartoon Network, **Code Lyoko**? ^^ I think it's cute! I may have to start writing fanfics for it... 

**Chapter 14:** WSJ: (V/O) Well, some things seem to be winding down. 

Ishtar: This duel is over! 

WSJ: (V/O) While others are just beginning... 

Bakura: *stretches his arms over his head as he finally steps outside* Well now... I guess it's time to go home, eh Yami? 

WSJ: (V/O) Some people are hurting, 

Joey: Gaaah! Sis, don't glomp me! OWW!!!!!! 

WSJ: (V/O) While others are healing... 

Duke: Mina! *grabs her in a fierce hug* I was so scared I'd lost you... 

Minako: *slightly muffled, as she has her face buried in Duke's neck* I'll never leave you, never... 

WSJ: (V/O) Some are having the times of their lives, 

Mokuba: WOOOO HOOO!!!!!! 

WSJ: (V/O) While others are fighting back the fear... 

Ryou: ....Mahaado.... 

WSJ: (V/O) Some are - okay okay, I'll stop now. ^_~ All this and more, next time! 

God bless minna-san! 


	14. The Calm Before the Storm

WSJ: ;; I am in the middle of about six novels, one of which is the latest by Elizabeth Peters-sama, and another one of which is the latest by Terry Pratchett-sama. I have two papers due on Monday (it's currently Thursday night), as well as a big project due Tuesday, and a bunch of drawings I'm doing for the one-act programs due I don't know when. I also need to get my entry ready for the Strawberry Festival's art contest (which, if you're curious, is a pic of Mahaado and Mana). Guess what I should be doing. What am I really doing? --; Eating Pocky (yay Pocky!), drinking tea, listening to the Cutey Honey theme, and writing. :p And yay for fluffy chapters! 

Bakura: Oh help... 

WSJ: [grins] Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. Amoura, Lisa, Yunet, and Amoura's family belong to Brood Mayran. Syne belongs to Sesca3. Gwen, Hiro, Scott, the Elementals, and various others belong to me. Sailor Moon isn't mine either. ; Is that everything? I think so... Oh! Sekil, Lark, and their sister are Ebony Kuroneko's. :) 

Oy! Oy! If I EVER try and write a duel again, someone slap me! You have no idea how frustrating and hard it is... [chuckles and glances at HCG] Well, some of you don't... 

Oh, and on another note, yes my Miho is very very different from the canon one. ;) When I first started writing for her, all I knew was that Tristan had a big crush on her, and that she was cheery enough to make Tea look depressed. :p Therefore, I set out to make her as different as possible, and turned her into a goth with a temper and an attitude. =D Hopefully, that doesn't bother anyone too terribly much. She'll be hanging around for awhile longer. And yes, you should feel very sorry for her, having to travel with Tristan. :p Oh yes, and I know I didn't make it very clear, but Miho's mother is _not_ the leader of the Amazons. If you read carefully, the Amazons keep mentioning that their matriarch is away in Japan, and Miho's mother is just filling in. [grins] And if you read _very_ carefully, you can figure out which tribe Keith and Tristan stumbled into... Which begs the question of where Miho got her purple hair (or rather, who else has it).... 

But that's just me looking for conspiracies again. :p But speaking of purple hair and Amazons, no I haven't forgotten about the Ranma/Tenchi/Ryou fight. [cheesy grin] It won't be for quite awhile (in fact, probably not even in this fic), but it's comin'... 

And most of you guessed right on the stock company. :) Like I said, keep it in mind... [giggles as Ebony pokes her] 

Yeah, yeah, a lot of notes, I know. vv I'm sorry. For those of you who've only seen the Sailor Moon dub, Naru is Molly and Umino is Melvin. 

vv Yes, my spelling sucks. sighs 

The play I just finished up with is _Bye Bye Birdie_. It's basiclly a parody on the life of Elvis. 

For those of you that noticed, yes, I am using the Japanese names for the God Cards. Why? Because "Saint Dragon" just sounds so much cooler than "Sky Dragon". ;) 

There was an author alerts problem last chapter, and I'm very soory about that. I posted my chapter at the same time FF.N was getting some reconstruction done, and somehow or another the alerts didn't get sent out. ;) Hopefully that won't happen this time. 

Grrrrrrr... I WANT MY SYMBOLS BACK!! [tears hair out in frustration] 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 14 - The Calm Before the Storm 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

"Oro?!"   
(Himura Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin)

**Dedication:**  
To all the senior thespians who are leaving us.  
Derek-san...  
Michael Allen-sama...  
Jenny-chan...  
Ashley-san...  
Jessica-san...  
Ryan-sama...  
Kelsey-chan...  
Ben-kami (don't ask!)...  
And Heather-sama.  
We're gonna miss you! 

They were awakened the next morning by sun streaming through the windows. Sometime during the night the storm had completely cleared away, leaving a dripping wet earth and a bright, cheerful blue sky that promised a warm day. The power had come back on too, and apparently they'd forgotten to turn off the TV, because it was now broadcasting static. 

It was Mokuba who woke up first, yawning and stretching his arms over his head. He'd fallen asleep on the couch the night before, and now he looked around the livingroom with bleary eyes. He was weighted down by something heavy, and when he glanced down to see what it was, he 'eeped' in surprise. Lisa was curled up against him, her arms wrapped around his waist. Worse yet, Rebecca was on his other side, also cuddling against him with her head on his shoulder. 

Sweatdropping massively, the younger Kaiba tried to untangle himself from their arms. Darnit! No such luck, both of the girls were beginning to wake up. Sighing quietly to himself, Mokuba settled back to wait for them to come fully awake. 

Rebecca moaned and snuggled against him, then blinked as she came fully awake. She blanched as she realized who she was leaning against and sat up quickly, blushing a deep red. She fumbled for her glasses, which were sitting on the coffee table, and shoved them in front of her eyes, still with her gaze locked on the ground.[1] 

Mokuba chuckled and reached over to tilt her chin up, so she could see that he was amused and not angry. He would have said something, but now Lisa was starting to wake up, so he just winked. She hid a giggle behind her hands as Lisa blinked and sat up, obviously not fully aware. 

The Irish girl yawned, and then her eyes bugged out as she finally realized what she'd been leaning on for the past seven or so hours. "MOKUBA!!!!" 

"It's not _my_ fault!" Mokuba said, trying without success to hold in laughter. "_You_ cuddled up to _me_!" 

Lisa huffed and climbed to her feet, ignoring the fact that her hair was a mess and her clothes wrinkled. "Why would I want to cuddle with _you_?! Hey! Stop laughing at me!" 

Mokuba tried again to smother his laughter. "I'm sorry Lisa-chan! Really! Hey, come on, don't be like this, you're my friend too." 

Lisa blinked at him, lowering her angry posture slightly. "Really, Mokuba?" 

Mokuba gave her a genuine smile and nodded. "Uh huh. Of course you are! You and I have known each other since we were little kids, Lisa. How can we not be friends?" 

"But... I thought you hated me..." 

"What?" Mokuba blinked in true surprise. "No way! I was annoyed sometimes 'cause you'd hang all over niisama, but I never hated you." 

Lisa grinned and sat back down on the couch, giving Mokuba a quick hug. "Oh I'm so glad! You don't know how long I've thought that... that..." 

"Well I don't," Mokuba assured her, putting one arm around her and the other around Rebecca. "Hey, I have an idea. I turned 16 and got my license a few weeks ago, so how's about we drive over to Kaiba Land and party." 

Both girls jumped out of his arms in excitement, and ended up on his lap. "Yah!!!!!" 

They rode to the airport in uncomfortable silence. Madame had offered to drive them (since none of them were licensed to drive in France), and even she could feel the tension. Ryou was sitting beside her in the front, with Serenity just behind him. Serenity kept leaning forward to brush her hands through his hair. Beside Serenity were Yami and Yugi, who were leaning against one another in a sort of a sad silence. This prospect of being apart for the rest of the summer was really beginning to get to them. They'd never had to be apart so long before. 

Yugi and Serenity were sceduled to fly out for Japan this morning, and Yami and Ryou had offered to come see them off. 

"Well," Madame said, cutting the engine. "We're here. I'll wait in the car." 

The four nodded and climbed out of the car. Yugi and Serenity gathered their luggage, and Serenity took Ryou by the hand. The telepath couldn't sense metal, glass, or stone, and since that's what most of the airport building was made out of, Serenity kept ahold of his hand so she could unobtrusively jerk him out of the way of running into any walls. 

They made their way through the airport and to security, the point where Yami and Ryou could go no farther. The two groups seperated slightly to give each other some room, and then proceeded to say their good-byes. 

For a long moment Yami and Yugi just stared at each other. Then Yugi threw himself against his yami, giving him a fierce hug which Yami readily returned. "I'm going to miss you, Yami," Yugi said, his voice slightly muffled by Yami's shirt and what sounded suspiciously like tears. 

Yami smiled sadly and hugged Yugi, stroking his hair. The pharaoh was slightly surprised to see that Yugi was nearly taller than him, not that either one of them would be getting much taller. "Not as much as I shall miss you, aibou." They didn't use the yami and hikari nicknames very much anymore, but on serious occations like these they sometimes still did. 

Yugi sniffled and pulled away from him, staring up at his yami with big eyes. Then he blinked, and a look something akin to determination settled on his face. Yugi took hold of the Puzzle and made to pull it off over his head before Yami grabbed his hands, keeping the Puzzle where it was. 

"Yugi, what are you doing?" Yami asked, "If you think forcing me into my soulroom is going to make me go with you-" 

To his surprise Yugi burst out laughing, an obviously amused expression on his face. "Yami, that's not what I was doing at all! If you really are mortal, or at any rate close to it, you should be able to exist without the Puzzle on me. I was just going to test that, I promise," 

Yami looked at him skepticly, but let his hands drop back to his sides. Giving his yami an encouraging smile, Yugi pulled the Puzzle over his head, letting the chain dangle from his fingers. Yami braced himself, expecting to be violently thrust back into his soulroom, and was surprised when he stayed put. He let out a slight muffled squeak and looked down at his hands, as if he expected them to be transparent. Yugi let out a soft gasp, and both of them stared in surprise as the spirit-Puzzle around Yami's neck faded away. 

Every time a yami seperated from their hikari, they aquired a "ghost" of their Item, a version that was not real but looked just the same, could not be physicly touched except by the yami, and could be used as a link to the real Item's powers. It was always the hikari that held the _real_ Item. Of course, once Bakura had been turned into a mortal, the spirit-Ring had vanished and never returned. That the spirit-Puzzle was vanishing now as well, leaving only the true Puzzle, said a lot. 

Yugi's face broke into a wide grin. "Oh mou hitori no boku! Bakura was right! You _must_ be mortal now!" 

Yugi was practicly dancing, and Yami chuckled. "You're not going to squeal 'loff' on me, are you?" [2] 

Yugi burst out laughing, and Yami grinned. The laughter attracted Serenity and Ryou, who'd been saying their own quiet good-byes a few steps away. Serenity's eyes widened in surprise as she noticed the Puzzle dangling from Yugi's fingers. "Yami! Are you standing here without the Puzzle?!" 

A wide grin threatened to split Yami's face in two, and he nodded. "I am," 

Ryou smiled, one arm still around Serenity's shoulders. "So you're officially a mortal now. Bakura's gonna be delighted. He can finally practice all those practical jokes he's been thinking up." 

Yami sweatdropped. "Oh dear... Actually, I'm not sure whether I'm mortal or not. I can still feel my magic, deep inside, and I could probably cast a spell right now if I wanted to." 

Ryou chuckled. "Just because you have magic doesn't mean you're not mortal. Look at me!" 

"You're not mortal." Yami said, making a sour face at the half-god, who just laughed. 

"Okay then, better example," Ryou said, still grinning. "Bakura still has his Shadow Magic, he just hasn't used it in quite awhile." 

"Truly?" Yami asked, his eyebrows going up. Ryou nodded in confirmation. 

The intercom came on and called Serenity and Yugi's flight, first in French and then in English, which half of them understood (Yami and Serenity were still working on it). Yugi and Serenity looked at each other in a panic. They weren't even through customs yet! Ryou grabbed Serenity and whirled her into his arms for another kiss before she left, and Yugi darted forward to sling the Puzzle's chain around Yami's neck. The pharaoh stared at him in shock and surprise, for what seemed like the tenth time that day. "Wha-?" 

Yugi smiled at him softly and winked. "I'm going home, Yami. So are you, but in a different way. If we're to be apart, you need the Puzzle more than I do." 

Yami ran his fingers over the cool metal of the Puzzle, reveling in having its familiar weight across his shoulders once again. "Aibou..." 

"You need it more than me," he repeated. "But I expect you to return it at the end of the summer," He was trying to sound stern, but also obviously teasing. 

Yami smiled. "Then I thank you for the loan of our Item, otouto." 

Yugi's face broke out into one of the sunniest grins Yami had ever seen. He gave Yami another quick hug and then picked up his luggage, looking around for Serenity so the two of them could get through customs and to their plane before it left without them. After a moment he spotted her, and couldn't help but roll his eyes. 

Yami'd seen them too. "Oy! Ryou!" he called, causing several passers-by to stop and stare at the short man with crazy hair shouting in Japanese. "Stop making out with Serenity so she can go!" The couple broke apart, blushing, and Ryou 'hmph'ed slightly as Yugi giggled and Serenity blushed. 

"Sayanora koibito," Ryou said fondly, handing Serenity the bags he'd been carrying for her. Then, before she could go, he took hold of her wrist, and with his other hand brushed just the tip of one finger in what seemed to be a random pattern across her forehead. "May Fate bless you and guide you, all your days, until you come back to my arms." 

Yami wondered if he was the only one who'd noticed the Eye of Horus glow faintly on Serenity's forehead for an instant. 

"I'm more worried about you..." Serenity said whistfully, seemingly unaware of whatever Ryou had just blessed her with. 

"I'll be all right," Ryou said, smiling and trying to resist the strong temptation to kiss her again. "Be safe, my love." 

"That I will." she answered. The two pulled away reluctantly, and Yugi rolled his eyes slightly as he grabbed Serenity and practicly drug her toward customs. 

Ryou was still smiling, and he turned toward Yami as he sensed the other man still fingering the Puzzle's chain and looking thoughtfully after Yugi. "I'm sure they'll be all right, Yami." 

"Oh, I know," Yami shook his head and the two turned to make their way back to the car. "I know. I'm worried about us." 

-()-

Malik muttered something in Arabic that Gwen guessed was probably vulgar. Ishtar had begun chanting in another language. It sounded vaguely like Arabic, but not quite. As for herself, she couldn't be more in awe. Even though she was about to lose a duel, there couldn't be a better way to go! Demolished by one of the Egyptian Gods...! She hadn't even been aware they were still in circulation. She'd heard that they'd been donated to the Domino Museum for their Pharaoh Atemu/Duel Mosters exibit. 

A bright light began to form in the center of the arena, causing Gwen to squint and Malik to throw his arms up to cover his eyes. The crowd had ceased cheering, and the entire place had gone eerily silent. And then... 

And then there it was. Gwen's breath caught as she stared at the most awesome thing she'd ever seen. She'd studied a little bit about Egypt, and more once she'd become friends with certain ancients, but she was still amazed. If Ra had had a physical form other than that of the sun, this was surely what he'd look like. 

The Winged Dragon of Ra towered over the crowds, golden light spilling off of him. He stretched his wings wide and roared, forcing most of the crowd to clamp their hands over their ears. A few children burst into tears. The holographic projectors fizzled and died, but Ra stayed put. Gwen found herself on her knees at the sheer beauty of it. 

"Shit!" Ishtar cursed. Ra was trying to emerge from the Shadow Realm, become fully physical like he had during Battle City. "No Ra! Not here! There's too many innocents!" 

If he'd expected the god to answer him, he was astounded when the dragon turned its head slightly to look at him over its shoulder. For a moment Ra's red eyes faded to simply orange, and Ishtar could have _sworn_ he saw understanding... 

Ra turned and bent his head toward Malik, who simply gaped as the mighty head came nearer and nearer. By the time Ra's massive head was right next to him, the dragon's hind legs were across the arena near Ishtar, and his tail stretched a good forty meters beyond that. Ra and Malik seemed to regard each other, and then Malik reached back to pull out the Millenium Rod, which was stuck through his belt, as usual. With his other hand, he reached forward to lay his palm against Ra's nose. For a moment, Malik touched a god... 

Then there was a burst of light and a rushing wind that made everyone turn away from the arena. When finally they could look again, Ra was gone, Ishtar's duel disk was on the ground smoking, and said duelist was clutching a burnt wrist and cussing. 

"It's your own fault," Malik told him, crossing the field at a run to take a look at his yami-brother's burns. "What possessed you to try and summon Ra?!" 

"It wasn't my most inspired idea..." Ishtar admitted. "If he hadn't listened and escaped the Shadow Realm... I guess we're just lucky he obeyed you, you being the holder of a Millenium Item and the original holder of his card, and all." 

Malik gave Ishtar a very strange look as Gwen and Syne came running up to them, with a couple duel officials not far behind. Obviously, with the holo projectors and Ishtar's duel disk fried, the duel wouldn't be going any farther. 

"(What are you talking about 'he'?)" Malik asked, speaking in Arabic as one of the officials motioned for one of the medics on standby to come look at Ishtar's wrist. "(The Winged Dragon of Ra's a girl.)" 

-()-

"Duke!" 

"Naru-chan! Umino!" 

Duke blinked his eyes open, squinting against the rising sun that was shining directly at him. Slightly disoriented, he sat up and glanced around. Ah, that's right, he was on the porch of the shrine. He must have fallen asleep while waiting for the Sailor Senshi to return. Yes, he'd been asleep. And there was something else... Something about a dream... But it didn't matter. Still blinking sleep from his eyes, Duke looked around in case the Senshi had returned. 

And return they had. Makoto, one ankle wrapped in bandages and a crutch leaning against the porch, was giving Umino a bearhug, and Ami and Naru were hugging and giggling and crying all at once. Before Duke could look any farther than that, he found himself encased in a hug of his own. 

The dice master smiled and wrapped his arms around his cousin, hugging Rei against him. "I was so scared," she admitted, squeezing him tightly. "But I knew Usa-chan would get us out of it, she always does..." 

"You okay, Rei-chan?" Duke asked once they'd let go and were facing each other again. 

The soldier of fire nodded, fingering a bandange that had been taped to her cheek. "Just scratches. Usa-chan made out worst of all, but she should be okay too." 

"Where is Usagi-chan?" Duke asked, raising his eyebrows as he glanced around the courtyard. "I don't see her or Mamoru-kun..." 

"Both of them are with Chibi-Usa." Rei said. "At Mamoru-san's apartment. The four of us thought they needed some time to themselves, so we decided to come back here and regroup. We figured you'd be waiting on us, we just didn't count on Naru or Umino." 

Duke smiled and nodded, but his eyes kept wandering past Rei's left shoulder. Finally she chuckled and patted him on the arm, climbing to her feet to go wake her grandfather and assure him she was all right. Duke turned to watch her leave, then he got to his feet as well. 

Minako was standing by herself under one of the cherry trees, and appeared not to be hurt at all. She was watching the group on the porch, which now consisted of Makoto, Naru, Ami, and Umino, along with Artemis and Luna, so she didn't see Duke coming until he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She squeaked in surprise when he did, then turned in his arms to face him. "Oh, Duke-san. You scared me." 

He smiled at her. "I didn't mean to, Mina-chan." 

She blushed slightly at the suffix he gave her name. "Ano..." 

So suddenly that she squeaked again, Duke hugged her tightly, pressing his face into her hair. "Kami-sama, Mina! Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought I'd lost you!" 

"I'll never leave you..." Minako answered immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Never ever." 

"Good," Duke said, his breath tickling her ear as he pulled back slightly so they were face-to-face. "Because I won't let you." 

And he kissed her. 

-()-

"As far as I know, Scott and Mai are still going to be at the hospital with Joey." Serenity told Yugi as the plane began to decend toward Kyoto. "My cousin Duo Maxwell is going to meet us, I think." 

Yugi nodded, stuffing the book he'd been reading back into his knapsack. "I hope Joey's all right..." 

"He will be," Serenity said firmly, though her smile was shaky. "He's been through worse before..." 

Yugi nodded. "Yeah. He's been crazy enough to nearly drown for my sake, almost get barbequed for Mai's sake, nearly get eaten by the Shadow Realm for your sake... He'll pull through." 

In hearing Yugi name Joey's achievements, Serenity's smile had grown a little more firm. "Yeah, he'll be okay." The plane was circling the airport now, and the two of them buckled up. 

Indeed, almost as soon as they stepped off the plane, they beheld a brown-haired, black-clothed figure bouncing up and down and waving his arms over the heads of the crowd. Giggling, Serenity pulled Yugi in that direction. "That's Duo-kun. Watch out, he's about as hyper as Gwen-chan is sometimes." 

Yugi's eyes widened slightly. "Man... Remind me never to offer him Pocky..." 

(WSJ: POCKY! [leaps upon Pocky box and devours all its contents]) 

Serenity laughed and nodded. "One of Duo's friends, Trowa, already figured that out the hard way, I've heard." 

The two of them elbowed their way through the crowds to reach Duo, who grabbed Serenity in a fierce hug the moment he laid eyes on her. "You okay?" he asked. 

Serenity nodded, returning the hug eagerly. "Uh huh. Joey'll be okay, I know it, so there's no reason to be worried." 

Duo chuckled ruefully. "I wish Mai-san shared your convictions, Sere'. She's _scary_ when she's worried!" 

Yugi laughed, and Duo let go of Serenity to turn toward him, although the braided man kept one arm around his cousin's shoulders. Duo sized him up for a moment, then grinned and stuck out his hand. "I'm Duo Maxwell. It's nice to meet ya'. You're Serenity-chan's boyfriend, then?" 

Yugi started laughing harder than ever, and Serenity blushed bright red. "Duo! What in the words 'long white hair' do you not understand? How could you possibly mistake Yugi for Ryou?" 

Duo grinned. "I'm just messin' with you, Serenity. You'd be Yugi Moto? Joey's told me a lot about you." 

Yugi grinned and shook Duo's hand. He was so used to doing it with Gwen (who never seemed to be able to quite surpass her American roots) that he didn't even think about it. "Hai, I'm Yugi. It's nice to meet you too, Maxwell-san." 

Duo pulled a face that made Serenity giggle. "Just Duo, please. I'm your hired chaufer for the evening," he tipped his black baseball cap comicly. "I'll be gettin' you over to the hotel and then off to the hospital, just as soon as we can collect your luggage." 

Yugi nodded as the three of them started off, Serenity walking between the two men. "Sure thing. And, between you and me, Duo-san, we'd better keep a close eye on Serenity. If anything happens to her and Ryou finds out..." he made a slow slashing motion across his throat, and Serenity laughed. 

"Yugi stop it! Ryou's not nearly that bad!" 

"Right." Yugi said dryly. "Did you see Takeo's black eye after he kissed you?" 

Serenity's eyes bugged out. "But that was for a play! It's not like we had a choice!" 

Yugi nodded. "My point exactly." 

Duo gulped. 

-()-

Ishtar nearly swallowed his tongue. "(A g-girl?!)" 

"(All the monsters have their own ka spirits that live in the Shadow Realm. The Kami no Kardos are no exception.)" Malik looked at him mildly. "What did you expect," he asked in Japanese. "An it?" 

Ishtar gave him a 'we'll talk about this later' look, and allowed himself to be led away by the medic to get his wrist seen to. Behind him, Syne and Gwen, along with Hiro and Alexi who'd rushed down from the stands, surrounded Malik, pelting him with questions. 

"What happened to Ishtar's wrist?" Hiro asked as soon as he'd skidded to a stop. "Is he all right?" 

"Should be," Malik said, nodding. "Ra's power made his duel disk overload and partially melt, which burned him. It didn't look too serious though." he frowned slightly. "That didn't happen during Battle City..." 

"That was really the Winged Dragon of Ra?!" Gwen asked, her eyes still shining slightly. "Amazing! I'd heard that the Kami no Kardos were at Domino museum!" 

"Nope," Malik started to say, but was interrupted as a kid of about ten pushed an autograph book under his nose. The five of them had left the arena and headed for a large open area near the first-aid station where they could wait on Ishtar. They were immediately flocked by fans, and Gwen and Malik pulled out pens to begin autographing. After a moment Hiro was forced to do the same, because hey, he was standing next to two dueling legends! Another duel was in progress nearby, one involving a girl with what looked like a mostly fire-type deck, and Syne and Alexi had run off to cheer her on, since she was a friend of theirs. Syne and Gwen exchanged promises to write and said their goodbyes. Once Gwen was finished, she reposed her question to Malik, who just grinned. As long as they spoke in Japanese, they didn't have to worry about anyone overhearing something they shouldn't. 

"No, they were in the museum for awhile, but after three theft attempts my sister gave up and gave them back." Malik grinned and winked at Gwen. "Ra is mine and Ishtar's, Saint Dragon of Osiris belongs to Yami and Yugi, and Kaiba has Obelisk." 

Gwen chuckled. She'd heard all about Malik's past with the Ghouls. "Theft attempts?" 

Malik tried his best to look innocent. "Not by _me_!" he saw her open her mouth and quickly added, "Or my men!" 

Gwen just snorted, trying to hide a smile. 

It wasn't much longer until Ishtar emerged from the first-aid station, his wrist bandaged and a bottle of lotion for it sticking out of his back pocket. He waded through the waist-high crowd, dutifully signing a few autographs as he went. After all, it was his left wrist that hurt, and he was right handed. 

"Can we go now?" he whined when he finally got to where Hiro, Gwen, and Malik were standing. 

Malik laughed. "You're just mad you didn't get to blast me with the Winged Dragon of Ra." 

Ishtar stuck his tongue out at his hikari. "You got that right!" 

Gwen grinned and glanced at her watch. "Yeah, I think we can go now. We've been here nearly all day. I'm hungry," 

"Me too." Hiro said, "But I won't be after you drive us home." 

Malik and Ishtar groaned in tandem, remembering Gwen's style of driving. She glared at the three of them and muttered something about men and babies under her breath. Hiro tried his best to look plaintive, but only came out looking pouty. "Can't we just take the bus?" 

The sound of fist hitting skull was heard all over the mall. 

-()-

Bakura looked up from his book as the door to the room opened to let Yami and Ryou in. Valeraine had gone out to lunch, and Tea was watching Julien in their hotel room, so it'd just been him and Amoura all morning. They'd talked for a long time, but about twenty minutes ago Amoura'd been yawning and struggling to keep her eyes open, so Bakura had told her firmly but gently to get some rest. "How'd things go?" 

Ryou flopped down on an overstuffed armchair, and Yami sat down with little more care on the couch. "Pretty well, considering," the ex-pharaoh said, running a hand through his long hair. 

Bakura debated for a moment, but decided he may as well take the bait. "Considering what?" 

"Considering that we nearly had to use the jaws of life to get your little brother to let go of Serenity," Yami said, rolling his eyes and ducking the pillow that Ryou telepathicly threw at him. 

Bakura laughed, easily imagining what that scene could have been like. "You should have found a room, Ryou," he teased. "Much harder for them to find you and drag you apart that way." 

Ryou muttered something under his breath, and both Yami and Bakura snickered. Yami shifted on the couch, causing the Puzzle around his neck to swing slightly and catch the light. Bakura's eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he motioned for Yami to get up and come to him. 

"What do you want?" Yami asked tiredly. "If it requires moving, you're out of luck." 

"I want to look at that bloody Puzzle of yours, palace brat," Bakura said, making a face at him. "It's reflecting the light too well to be an illusion, and an illusion is what the spirit-Puzzle should be." 

"Here, then," Yami pulled the Puzzle off and tossed it at Bakura, who nearly didn't catch it in surprise. For a moment he just stared at the Puzzle in his hands, then he turned his astonished gaze on Yami. 

"How in hell's name..." he started. "Yami, this is the real Puzzle! And you're still sitting here! Confound it, you're Puzzle-less!" 

(WSJ: [cackles and hugs her collection of Elizabeth Peters novels] Yay for Emerson!!) 

Yami chuckled and leaned his head back against the wall, throwing one arm over his face. "Very good tomb thief, you win first prize..." 

"Hey, are you okay?" Ryou asked, looking concerned. "You seem awful tired, Yami..." 

"I'm okay," Yami said, sighing as Bakura tossed the Puzzle back at him. He easily caught it, hanging it around his neck once more. "It just feels so weird not having Yugi around to talk to... I mean, I've gotten so used to feeling him in the back of my mind... He's still there now, just a lot fainter." 

Bakura and Ryou chuckled and exchanged glances. "Really now?" Bakura smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "You'll get used to it. It's what bein' mortal's all about." 

Yami frowned slightly. "Not... not truly mortal yet. I can exist without the Puzzle, yes, but..." he laid a hand against his chest, and a strange, distant look came over his face. "But no heart beat..." 

Bakura raised his eyebrows and looked at Ryou, who only shrugged. "Only answer I have is that the Puzzle's letting his mortal body 'fade in' to replace his spiritual one." Ryou said. "Letting him go slowly, instead of becoming human all at once like you had to become." 

"And with a gaping hole in my chest, no less..." Bakura muttered, and the other two chuckled quietly. [3] 

There was a light knock on the door, and Yami heaved himself to his feet to answer it. In stepped the doctor who'd been treating Bakura, followed by a nurse. Ryou mentally poked Amoura, lightly prodding her back awake. She stirred slightly and yawned. "Vhat 'ave I missed?" 

"Nothing," Bakura assured her. "But we need a translator. Yami and Ryou barely speak any French at all, and mine is shaky at best." 

Amoura finally noticed the presence of the doctor and nurse in the room, and sat up a little straighter. "Bonjour monsieur." she said in French. "What can I do for you today?" she asked politely. 

The two talked for quite awhile, while the nurse crossed the room to check Bakura's bandaged hand and feet. Though he only caught about half of what she said, she seemed pleased with how his amputated digits were healing over. He'd lost the pinky finger on his left hand, and the two smallest toes from each foot. It annoyed him slightly, but didn't really hurt or anything except for a slight twinge every now and then. Ryou had wanted to heal Bakura completely, now that his strength was finally returning, but Yami and Bakura had both said no. If Bakura made too miraculous a recovery, the doctors would begin to ask unwelcome questions. Amoura had firmly made the same choice, stating that she'd broken bones before and would survive this time too. 

By the time the nurse was finished, Yami was sound asleep on the couch, and Ryou was reading the book that Bakura had put down. The nurse went to whisper something to the doctor, who smiled and said something to Amoura. Amoura's face brightened considerably, and she thanked the doctor several times over as he left. As soon as both doctor and nurse were gone, Bakura turned anxiously to Amoura. "Well? What did he say?" 

Her smile made his heart jump. "Ve, both of us, are being released from zee 'ospital tomorrow morning." 

Bakura's loud 'whoopee' woke Yami, who twitched slightly and snorted as he sat up. "Oh Amoura!" Bakura was practicly dancing in his bed. "If you weren't across the room I'd kiss you! It's about time we got out of here!" 

"It's only been a week," Yami said, irritated that he'd been woken up from his nap. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write a letter to Yugi." 

"He's only been gone an hour..." Bakura pointed out, rolling his eyes. Yami glared at him, but didn't answer as he stalked out of the room. Ryou chuckled and gave Bakura a gentle look. 

"Don't tease him too much, oniisan. You remember how hard it was at first for us, too." 

"Do I ever," Bakura said, smiling at his former aibou fondly. Then he seemed to shake himself out of his sentimental mood and come back more or less to his old self. "Hey! That's my book!" 

The day passed in a general sense of all around happiness. Yami lightened up soon enough, especially after Tea came to visit. Yami, Tea, and Ryou would all be staying at the hotel with Amoura's family tonight, but they'd be back first thing in the morning. After Amoura and Bakura got released, the entire group of them were going to catch a plane to Paris. They'd spend that night at Amoura's house, and then the next morning Yami, Bakura, and Ryou would take their flight to Cairo, Egypt, where Shen and Isis were supposed to meet them. 

The evening was almost festive. Just after suppertime Madame arrived with a huge tub of iced creame that she'd smuggled in past the nurses. The five teenagers pigged out, laughing and talking and enjoying themselves quite a bit. In fact, the mood became so light that Bakura challenged Yami to a duel. Tea helped pull a table over next to Bakura's bed, and then the two ex-spirits were at it again. 

Sitting on the couch and "watching" his brother duel, Ryou couldn't help but smile. Would Bakura ever give up trying to defeat Yami? Probably not, he answered himself. That's just the way Bakura was. Ryou's smile faded as he let his thoughts drift. About now, Serenity and Yugi would be landing in Kyoto. And forty-eight hours from now... 

Unnoticed by the others, who were all focused on the duel, Ryou shivered and drew his knees up to his chest. Forty-eight hours from now he'd be back in Egypt. He loved Egypt, of course, and he'd get to see father and Fate-sama again, which was great, but... 

Ryou hugged his knees tighter, squeezing his eyes shut. He was _not_ looking forward to facing Mahaado again. 

A loud cheer snapped him back to the present, and he quickly put his feet to the floor again, wondering how long he'd been lost in thought. It wouldn't do for any of the others to notice him curled up in a fetal possition. It quickly became obvious why Tea and Yami were cheering. Yami had, predictably, won the duel. Using Saint Dragon, Ryou realized, noticing the slight aura that the Kami no Kardo gave off even in paper card form. Ouch, that'd have Bakura's ego smarting for awhile. Currently the thief had his head in his hands, and was sweatdropping massively at another loss. Amoura was trying to console him, although it was obvious she was trying to hold in laughter. Madame just looked rather annoyed that Yami had won against anyone. 

It was soon after that that Ryou, Madame, Tea, and Yami took their leave for the hotel. Ryou and Yami were sharing a room, as were Madame and Valeraine. Tea had insisted that she take Julien for the night, claiming that she didn't want a hotel room all to herself, and that she loved taking care of Amoura's little brother. And after all, her room was connected to Madame and Valeraine's through a common bathroom, so if Julien needed anything during the night all she had to do was come over and wake them. It didn't take much for the two women to agree, and Yami was then bullied into helping Tea move Julien's portable crib/bed into the other room. Once the boy was all settled down, Tea went to bed herself. Valeraine stayed up to read a bit, and Madame watched some TV, but then they too went to bed. 

Across the hall, things didn't settle down quite so fast. While Ryou was in the shower, Yami lay on his stomach on his bed, trying to read a doujinshi he'd gotten at the Duel Monsters store in Paris last week (had it really only been a week?), but his mind kept wandering away from him. Finally he gave up and tucked the comic back into his bag, waiting for Ryou to come out of the bathroom. 

Had Ryou not been blind, it would have been a startling sight. A man you knew to be pharaoh, laying on his back on a hotel bed in silk boxers and a tanktop, long legs and bare feet splayed over one side of the bed, and head hanging off the other. It was a bit on the surreal side. Yami stared moodily at the digital clock, watching its numbers click over to 11:00 as he waited for Ryou. 

Yami rolled over and sat up as the bathroom door opened, letting out Ryou and a large cloud of steam. The telepath was dressed in boxers and a long fluffy white bathrobe, one obviously provided by the hotel. His hair was wrapped up in a towel, and Yami couldn't help but snigger as he compared the sight of Ryou to a robed and turbaned Shaadi. Ryou heard the quiet laugh and darted a quick "look" at Yami as he rumaged through his bag for a shirt. "What?" 

"Nothing," Yami said, "Just wondering if you've got your turban wrapped properly." 

Ryou snorted and reached up to undo the knot that held his towel-turban on. As it came down he shook his head, making his long hair whip around his face and neck, spraying Yami with drops of water. 

"Hey now!" Yami laughed, and so did Ryou. With his hair wet, and thereby straight instead of fluffy, Ryou's hair reached almost to the bottom of his buttox in shining silver-white rivers. Yami hadn't known his hair was quite that long. Quickly Ryou tied his dripping hair back into a braid, and tossed his towel into the bathroom where the cleaning lady would get it later. He then went back to looking for a shirt, and Yami flopped onto his stomach on his bed, wondering how to broach the subject he wanted to talk to Ryou about. 

Finally locating one of his older, more comfortable t-shirts, Ryou tossed it onto the bed within easy reach and slipped off the bathrobe so he was standing just in his boxers. He felt, rather than heard Yami gasp, and stiffened slightly. 

As for Yami, he couldn't help but stare wide-eyed. Seeing the scars on Malik's back had been a sickening experience, but not nearly so much as this. Malik's scars could be passed off as tattoos, if he wanted, but this... "Ryou..." Ryou refused to meet Yami's eyes, and stood motionless, letting Yami get a good look at his well-muscled and heavily-scarred chest, shoulders, and arms. Yugi-tachi had all seen the scars on his arms before, of course, especially the distinctive rose scar, but only Bakura and perhaps Malik had seem them all, like this. 

For a moment Yami was frozen, his horrified eyes taking in the faded lines that criss-crossed Ryou's chest. Old, faded, horrible scars. Some of them had to have come from very deep wounds. Some looked like they came from burns. A bitter taste in his mouth, Yami stood up and walked around Ryou, some horrid facination making the now-mortal pharaoh want to get a look at his back. Obligingly, Ryou pulled his braid over his shoulder, but other than that he didn't move, and he said nothing. 

Yami sucked in his breath, and for a moment thought he might faint or throw up from the sight. Ryou's back, like his chest, was muscular from all the martial arts and excersize he got, but the scars were a million times worse. In his days as pharaoh, Yami had tortured people in some grusome ways, as Bakura could readily admit, but _this_... 

"Please," Ryou said softly, his voice amazingly calm, though to Yami's ears it sounded rather sad. "Please don't think of him like that. He isn't..." 

"But he was." Yami growled. "Kisima..." 

Droplets of water from Ryou's wet hair were running down his back, running through the scars as if they were tiny riverbeds. Most of these scars, Yami could tell, had been made by a whip. Maybe even one of those whips that had shards of glass embedded in it, the kind Yami had reserved for only the worst of criminals. The scars crossed and merged and crossed again, until Yami had to wonder whether Ryou had actually been born with any of the skin that was on his back now, or if it was all scars from where Bakura had ripped it away. 

Despite Ryou's quiet plea, Yami was shaking in anger, a red haze gathering at the edges of his vision, and it was a moment before he realized that Ryou was shaking too, but for a different reason. "Ryou?" 

"I can tell," Ryou said, his voice choked by tears. Slowly, his back still to Yami, he moved to pick up the shirt he'd laid on his bed and pulled it over his head, hiding the terrible scarring from Yami's sight. Only then did he turn and face Yami, tears gathering in his dark eyes. "I can tell what you think of him. And you're right, you're so right. He did this to me, all of it. Not all at once, but over a period of nearly seven years. I wanted to die, Yami. Oh my God, I wanted to die so badly. But I didn't. I couldn't, and for his own reasons, he wouldn't. So I forced myself to go on, and look where we are now." Ryou spread his arms, encompassing not only the hotel room, but their entire situation. "I've gone through hell Yami, but this is heaven now. I can see what you think of him. Sometimes, blind eyes see clearest. But he isn't. _Not anymore._ I want to show you something, and I hope it'll drive your anger and hate from your mind." 

Stepping forward before Yami could say yea or nay, Ryou reached up to place one hand on either side of Yami's face. Cupping the pharaoh's chin in his hands, Ryou gently pulled him forward until their foreheads touched. 

_All was peaceful, in the hospital room. It was dark, and the curtains were drawn. Yami realized that Ryou must be sending him a telepathic image. This was what was happening right now, a couple miles away in the hospital. _

Bakura was snoring, but that was nothing new. He was sprawled on his back, his mouth open and his good hand flung over the side of the bed to dangle near the floor. Yami had to admit, seeing him like that it was hard to imagine him ruthlessly beating Ryou. 

Amoura was asleep too, much more dignified then her companion. She was on her back, her casted leg stretched straight out in front of her. She was covered from the waist down in a light blanket, cast and all. As Yami watched, she murmered something in her sleep and tried to turn over, making a face as she tried to find a comfortable possition in her cast. In her tossing and turning, the blanket fell away from her cast. 

Yami made a face. He should have expected that. Her cast, which was neon pink, was glowing in the dark. 

Bakura snorted in his sleep, and suddenly sat straight up, his eyes wide in what Yami realized was fear_. He must have been having a nightmare, or somehting. His chest was heaving, gulping down air like he couldn't get enough. After a moment he seemed to calm himself down, and looked like he was going to just lay back down and go to sleep. Instead, he turned his head slightly, and his eyes widened in terror again. He squealed (yes, squealed) loudly, which woke Amoura. _

She sat up in bed as well, looking around with fuzzy eyes and wondering why Bakura was flailing around in bed like that. He was going to hurt himself if he wasn't careful. "Wha...?" 

Bakura jerked at her voice, and slowly turned to look at her. Yami laughed as he realized Bakura was twitching slightly, and heard an answering burble of telepathic laughter from Ryou, proving Yami's quiet suspision that the telepath was watching this too, though he couldn't be seen. 

"Amoura..." Bakura said, his voice dangerously low and his eye-twitch dangerously high. "Why didn't you warn me about that stupid glowing cast of yours? It nearly scared the shit out of me! I thought it was a rampaging Petite Dragon, come to seek revenge or something!" 

Amoura burst into peels of laughter, while Bakura gave her annoyed looks. "It's not funny!" 

Amoura wiped a tear of mirth out of her eye. "And jus' why_ vould a Petite Dragon vant revenge on you?" _

Bakura froze, his expression a classical "dear caught in the headlights", and absently wiped a trickle of blood away from his nose. "N-no reason..." 

Amoura looked at him slyly in the dark. "Suuuuure, Bakura...." she giggled and winked. "Goodnight, mon ami." 

"Good night... koibito." [4] 

Amoura smiled and blew him a kiss, and then they both lay down to get what sleep they could with the other so close, and yet so far away. 

The image faded away, and Yami found himself back in the hotel room. He stared openly at Ryou, who had a neutral expression on his face. 

"Now you see." Ryou said, turning away from Yami to sit down on his bed. "Bakura is no longer the same man who did this to me. He... When he died in the Shadow Realm... His soul actually passed on to the afterlife. He actually saw his wife again. It was only Fate's intervention that allowed you and Ishtar to bring him back. He's _not_ the same man, Yami. That day marked the end of his old life, and the true start of his new one. I won't allow you to think of him as a monster, a Shadow Mad bastard. I won't." 

Yami smiled and went to sit opposite Ryou on his own bed. "I understand, Ryou. I only wish I had a brother as protective and caring as you." 

Ryou smiled, relaxing a little, and leaned over to ping his finger against the Puzzle, which was sitting on the bedside table next to the Ring. "Who says you don't?" He winked, and Yami chuckled. 

After a moment of silence, broken by a yawn from Ryou, the telepath chuckled and started to reach for the lightswitch to the bedside lamp, but Yami caught his wrist. "No wait. Ryou, I wanted to... to ask you about something." 

"Sure," Ryou said, settling back against the pillows and tucking his hands behind his head. "Ask away." 

Yami looked down to where his hands were clenched around handfuls of bedsheets. "Earlier, when you were telling us about what happened to you in Egypt... was... was he really as bad as... as you said?" 

Ryou stiffened, his hands clenching into fists involentarily. Yami saw this, but didn't comment. He was too dumbfounded. _'Ryou actually looks... fightened! I didn't think he was truly scared of anything!'_

Ryou gulped, making a visible effort to fight off his fear. "Y-yes, he was. He wouldn't listen to me, or to Fate-sama, or even to Mana-san. He was... he was pretty far gone, Yami..." 

Yami let out the breath he'd been holding in a quiet sigh, letting his head drop. "He was one of my best friends, Ryou. I know that's hard for you to believe, given your dealings with him, but he and Mana were my dearest friends, next to Jono and Teana..." 

"Joey and Tea?" Ryou guessed, and was rewarded with a nod. 

"Hai. Jono was captain of my personal guards, and Teana... Sweet Teana... She was my queen." 

Ryou's mind was still on Mahaado, and he nodded absently. "Yami... I'm afraid if it comes to a fight against Maha- against him, I won't be of much help..." 

Yami could see him trembling, and he smiled gently, leaning over to pat him on the arm. "It's okay Ryou. Bakura and I will be more than enough. But I'm hoping it won't come to a fight, that's why I'm going. Maybe, if he _sees_ his pharoah..." 

Ryou shook his head. "I don't think it'll work, Yami, but I pray it does." He reached over and flipped off the light, this time with no objections. The two lay in the dark, and no more words were exchanged, but even so it took the two of them a long time to fall asleep. 

-()-

Mokuba grinned as he strolled down the Duel Monsters themed midway, licking an iced creame cone. He'd never really had the chance to just enjoy Kaiba Land before. Whenever he and Seto had come here, it had almost always been for business, never for pleasure. Now that Mokuba actually had the chance to take in the sights, he planned to enjoy every moment of it with his two best friends. 

It was a hot day out. After all, it was the beginning of August. Mokuba was decked out in shorts and a tanktop bearing the Kaiba Corp. logo, his long jet black hair pulled into a thick ponytail. He was tall, like his brother, and once when he'd been standing next to Ryou, Bakura had remarked that they looked like a matched set of black and white chess pieces. 

Rebecca was wearing a pretty orange sundress that offset her hair, and nice, durable sandals for walking. Her hair was pulled up into pigtails, making Mokuba giggle and think about the way she'd looked when they first met, way back when they were ten and eleven. Lisa was wearing jean capris and a light purple t-shirt, her hair pulled back into a braid. Both girls had huge wads of cotton candy that they were devouring at amazing speeds. 

"This is great, Mokuba," Rebecca said, grinning. "I've never really been here just to explore before." 

"Me neither," Lisa agreed. "Thanks for bringing us, Mokuba." 

Mokuba grinned. "It's no problem. Since I own this place, I get in for free, easy!" He stopped suddenly, and stared at one of the carnivel-type games that the midway was lined with. "Jeez, leave it to Seto to design something like that..." 

"That" was a dart-throwing game. The targets were all Kuriboh and chibi-Dark Magician, and the prizes were huge stuffed Blue Eyes plushies. 

Rebecca and Lisa weren't paying attention. Both were staring at a game across the way, or more acurately, at the huge plushies that were the top prizes. When Mokuba saw them, he chuckled. He'd nearly forgotten that he'd ordered a shipment of those, just to see how people took them. According to reports, they were now some of the most popular prizes. 

"Oh Mokuba!" Rebecca grabbed his arm. "They're so kawaii! I'd love to get one of those!" 

"Me too!" Lisa agreed. "Oh pleeeease, Mokie-kun?" 

Mokuba sweatdropped slightly. "I can't just walk up and take them," he said. "Even if I do technically own them. If you girls want one, we'll have to win them the old-fasioned way." 

Lisa grinned, the light of a challenge in her eyes. "All right! I bet I can win mine before you, 'Becca!" 

"Can not!" Rebecca answered, taking the bait. The two of them took off toward the stall, vying for the attendant's attention. Mokuba followed at a more sedate pace, chuckling at the nearly four foot tall Winged Dragon of Ra, Saint Dragon of Osiris, and God of Obelisk plushies. 

(WSJ: [whines] I want a Kami no Kardo plushie...) 

-()-

The stop over at the hotel was fairly brief, just long enough for Serenity and Yugi to drop off their luggage and Serenity to say a quick hello to Tamahome and Miaka, who'd been at teh hospital earlier that morning and would probably be going back later that night. After that, the two piled back into Duo's car and headed for the hospital themselves. 

They arrived at exactly the wrong time. 

On their way in they passed Scott storming out, and hurried inside to find a sobbing Mai in the waiting room. It was quite awhile before they figured out the entire story, but for the sake of continuity, here's what had happened: 

_"Look, Mai," Scott tried to comfort the depressed woman sitting beside him in the waiting room as they waited for the next time they could go in and visit Joey. "I know what you're feeling, but he's going to be okay. He always has been." Gently Scot put a hand on her shoulder. "And if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here." He tried to draw her into a hug, but to his surprise she exploded at him. _

"Don't touch me! I don't need your pity, and certainly not your hugs! Doesn't it occur to you that Joey's hurt because he loves me, and maybe I'm crying because I love him too?" 

Both of them gasped at the sudden proclamation, and Mai clamped a hand over her mouth as if she'd said something she shouldn't have. Scott gaped at her for a long moment, then his face turned stormy. 

"If you two love each other so much, then you certainly don't need me." He turned on his heel and left the room, passing Duo, Yugi, and Serenity on his way in. 

It took awhile for Serenity to get Mai calmed down, during which time the clock turned around to the point where Joey could be visited again. Only three were allowed in at a time, so Duo politely declined, saying he'd just seen Joey that morning, and if anything Duo would make him laugh, which was bad for stitches. Serenity thanked him with a hug, and then she, Yugi, and Mai followed the nurse to Joey's room. 

He wasn't in the ICU, though he had been the day before. That morning they'd moved him up into a regular room. His roommate, a fat, balding guy who was recovering from surgery of some kind, was sound asleep and snoring when the trio came it. Joey was awake, and staring out the window at the darkening sky. An IV ran into the back of one hand, and he was hooked up to a heart monitor and a couple other machines that Yugi couldn't identify. 

As soon as she saw him, Serenity's eyes filled up with tears. "Oh Joey!" Joey's head whipped around, and his face broke into a bright smile as he saw his sister and best friend standing in the doorway. He held out his IV-less arm to Serenity, and she ran forward to hug him. 

"Gah!" Joey struggled feebly in her grip. "Gently sis, gently! OWWW! Watch the stitches, Sere'!" 

Serenity quickly let go of him, and he flopped back against the pillows limply. "I'm so sorry oniisan!!" 

"It's okay," he said, grinning at her. "It's so good to see you. And you too, Yug'. Weren't you in France?" 

"Switzerland, actually," Yugi said, coming forward to stand beside Serenity next to the bed. "But yeah, we were about ready to head back to France when the snowstorm hit." 

"Snowstorm?" Joey and Mai asked almost at once. 

Yugi's eyes widened. "You guys don't know?" Quickly, taking turns on telling the narrative, Serenity and Yugi filled the other two in on what had been happening to the rest of them since their last set of e-mails. Of course, it wasn't quick at all, and took nearly half an hour to tell. 

"Man," Joey whisted appreciatively. "Seems we're all gettin' hurt. I'm surprised you're not still with Ryou, Serenity." 

Serenity smiled a little and blushed, looking down at her hands. She didn't answer, and Yugi laughed. "Are you kidding? Yami and I nearly had to pry them apart with a crowbar at the airport." 

"Not like you and Yami were any better," Serenity mumbled, causing Yugi to laugh again. 

Joey nodded slowly. "Let me get this straight, Yami's actually mortal now, and he's got the Puzzle because he and Ryou and Bakura are going to Egypt to deal with this Mahaado guy, except Ryou's super scared of him because he almost died before?" When the other two nodded, he shook his head ruefully. "Man oh man, this adventure has got to take the cake for one of the weirdest." 

Mai, Yugi, and Serenity couldn't help but agree. 

-()-

Things were busy in the Letazaut house. Everyone had come home the night before and all but collapsed into their beds. This morning, Yami, Bakura, and Ryou were leaving for Egypt. Bakura's hands and feet had been liberated from their bandaged cocoons, and though they were still sore and tender, they were healing quite nicely. The trio said their good-byes as Jacques and Franz carried their bags outside and loaded them into the limo. Amoura was bedded down on the fold-out couch, and probably would be for the next week or so, since it was too hard for her to try and get up and down stairs with her leg in a cast. 

"It was wonderful of you to have us," Ryou was telling Madame. "I hope we get the chance to see you again." 

Madame agreed and nodded. "You and your brother are so charming, and your girlfriend Serenity is such a sweety. Who knows, I may fly out to Japan for Christmas. Then again, I could go a thousand years without seeing pineapple head again..." she shot a glare at Yami's back, and Ryou chuckled. 

Yami himself was oblivious to Madame's stare, as he was busy saying good-bye to Tea. "Take care of yourself," he told her, giving her a hug. "Don't forget that Madame and Valeraine-san both saw Ryou use his telepathy and healing powers. He surpressed the memories in their minds, but it wasn't permanent and they could surface again at any time. If they do ask, just tell them the truth. They may as well know, especially if Amoura decides to eventually join that wacky family." he rolled his eyes as Tea grinned and nodded. "And you might want to make sure Amoura makes it to Japan in one piece next month, or face the wrath of Bakura the Mighty Tomb Thief." 

Tea laughed. "I doubt it, but I'll keep an eye on her anyway." she giggled and looked slyly over Yami's shoulder toward the couch where Amoura currently was. "Although maybe she'd prefer I not..." Yami turned to see what she was looking at, and couldn't help but groan. Bakura was seated on the edge of the couch-bed and was leaning over his girlfriend. From the looks on their faces they'd been lip-locked for the past twenty minutes or so. 

Ryou had noticed too. "Oh boy... Bakura, we've gotta go! If I can let go of Serenity for a month, you can let go of Amoura for a month. Now come on before she suffocates." 

Bakura and Amoura broke off their kiss, and Bakura turned slightly to stick his tongue out at Ryou. "Fat chance." He smiled and ran his hand over Amoura's hair, leaning forward to give her another (much shorter) kiss. "I'll see you in September, Amoura-chan. Take care of that leg of yours." 

She nodded, looking up at him with large brown eyes. "I vill. Bakura... please be careful." 

He smiled and nodded as he stood up, squeezing her hand as he stepped away from her. "I promise I will. I love you, 'Moura." 

"Love you too Bakura," 

Bakura turned to go, and Yami quickly stopped making the gagging motions he had been at the sight of all the fluff. Ryou chuckled and shook his head as the three of them gathered by the door, ready to leave. Franz was driving them. 

"May Fate bless you all," Ryou said quietly, and then they were gone. 

-()-

The room is very large, but dark. Being underground, there are no windows to let in the light of the outside world. A sound of movement, the rustling of clothes, the soft strike of a footstep. A spark flashes, and a moment later a torch flares, revealing the face of the one who carries it. 

It's a man, about twenty years old, entering the room from its only door. He moves the flame to light another torch that's mounted on the wall, brightening the room a little more. He wears long, loose Middle Eastern robes, and his feet are encased in soft leather sandals. His hair is semi-long, reaching to a little past his shoulders, and is deep purple. As he turns to light a third torch, we can see his face is calm, his expression a casual one, of almost indifference. 

As the third torch catches, the light is bright enough for us to see a bed. A blond woman lays in it, her eyes closed and the covers drawn up to her chin. Her face is pale, and she appears to be caught in a nightmare, as her face is twisted in a horrible grimace. She is young, only about seventeen, and she is obviously not well at all. 

Another man enters. He too is wearing long robes, but his are belted around the waist with a strip of blue cloth, and his feet are bare. He's also about twenty, and his white hair reaches past the shoulders on him, as well. Unlike the other man, this one seems very worried. He goes straight to the bed and pulls up a stool, sitting down and reaching a hand to touch the woman's forehead. He bites his lip as the first man comes to stand behind him, still holding the original torch. 

"How is she?" the first man asks, flicking a strand of purple hair out of his eyes. 

The white-haired man just shakes his head and withdraws his hand. "Not good. She's still burning up with fever." 

His companion frowns. "Isn't there anything else we can do?" 

"No," the white-haired man shakes his head again, though he certainly doesn't look happy about it. "No, she's in Fate's hands now." 

"Not that Fate has ever done a thing for us..." the purple-haired man mutters. 

"Lark!" the seated man frowns, calling the other sharply to order. "Shush. Fate does as she sees fit. If you really want to make yourself useful, go pray that Allah spares our sister's life." 

For a moment the two brothers glare at one another, and then Lark turns away, making an annoyed sound in his throat. "If that is what you wish, Sekil." He leaves, and the white-haired Sekil breathes a quiet sigh of relief. He turns his face upward and closes his eyes, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed and his chin on his hands. 

"The realms are shifting again..." he murmers, half to himself and half to the unconcious girl. "This cannot be good news..." 

-()-

[1] I don't even think this note is very necissary, but I'll add it anyway. For those who don't already know, Rebecca shows up again for Doom Organization. In that arc, she's a whole lot cuter than she was earlier. She keeps her hair down, and she has glasses. Even though this series ignores all the anime arcs that come after Battle City, I'm going with her later look as opposed to her little kid one. 

[2] Yeah yeah, technicly Yami wouldn't be able to make that comment, as at this point not even Ryou's met Naosu, but I can't help myself. Too cute not to obliquely cameo! gets poked multiple times by Ebony and giggles 

[3] Anyone remember _Visions of the Heart_? 

[4] mon ami is French for 'my friend', and koibito is Japanese for 'sweetheart'. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: [is watching the new YuGiOh episode with an attitude somewhere between amusement and disgust] Malik didn't send his father to the Shadow Realm you bloody idiots! He died! DIE DIE DIIIIE!!! Bloody stupid dubbers... 

Bakura: [sighs] Oh dear... Here she goes ranting again... 

WSJ: Grrrrrrr... Kaiba's such a jerk... 

She gets interrupted mid-episode as something small, red, and rather horny comes racing into the room, careens off the wall, and slides to a stop against Bakura's legs. Bakura looks down at it and goes bug-eyed. It appears to be a chibi-Saint Dragon of Osiris (Slifer the Sky Dragon for you dubbies), with rather large blue eyes. 

Chibi-Dragon: Gaaaaah, they're after me again!!!!! 

Bakura: [twitches and kicks the thing, sending it sliding across the floor toward SJ] What _is_ it? 

WSJ: [pauses in ranting about how big male egos get when sitting in a dueling chair and turns to face the ex-yami and Chibi-God] Oh, him? [sweatdrop] My other muses have all abandonned me, and he just showed up to fill in the gap. 

Bakura: [twitches again] Abandonned you? 

WSJ: [sighs] All my Duel Monster muses, including, it seems, Harmony and Nao-Nao, have run off to the Shadow Realm, where I think they're constructing a castle, or something. Damon and Horus have run of to NR Egypt without so much as a "see-you-later", and HCG's got Unmei. CP's somewhere around here, I think, but I haven't seen him. He could be hanging out with Brood's chibis. I think Phantom-san's on vacation in Paris. Either that or stalking Michael Crawford. One never knows. So that just leaves you. And him. [nods at the dragon] 

Bakura: [sweatdrop] 

Chibi-Dragon: Make them go away! [looks in fear at the door he'd come through] 

WSJ: [blink] Oh dear... Don't tell me you let the plot bunnies out of their cage again? You know those things multiply like Kuriboh! 

Chibi-Dragon: XP 

Several small fluffy... things come barreling through the door and latch onto the chibi Saint Dragon, cooing and making various other noises. They look something like Kuriboh with rabbit ears. There's four of them, one powder pink, one daffodil yellow, one mint green, and the last lilac purple. Bakura just stares at them for a moment before turning to SJ with a questioning look. 

WSJ: [sighs] Like I said, plot bunnies. They seem to like him. His name's Skank. I dunno if the bunnies have names or not. 

Bakura: Skank? 

WSJ: Saint Kleptomaniac Antagonistic Neurotic Kami. Skank for short. 

Bakura: [looks at her suspiciously] Have you been reading the dictionary again? 

WSJ: [sweatdrop] ....I was bored. 

Skank: [franticly trying to get away from the four clinging plot bunnies] They do to have names. GET THEM OFF!!! 

WSJ: [looks intrested, and peels the pink bunny off Skank's tail] Names for plot bunnies? Really? What's this one? 

Skank: [snickers] Himura Pocky. 

WSJ: [rolls his eyes] A pink plot bunny named after Kenshin... Ha ha ha... This must be the bunny for the pocky story I'm working on at school... [tosses the bunny (who giggles) at a protesting Bakura and picks the green one off Skank's head] What about this one? 

Skank: Aoshi Kaiba. Ak for short. 

WSJ: [snorts] This would be the bunny for that weird Twilight Zone fic idea I had. You know, the one about Aoshi being Seto's great-grandfather? 

Bakura: [pauses in fussing at Himura-P, who's taken up residense in his hair] Yes! I read the summery for that one! You're just weird. 

WSJ: No, I just need to find a reliable, airtight container for my plot bonnies. AND someone who doesn't let them out every few days... [glares at Skank] No wonder they love you so much! 

Skank: Yeah yeah yeah... The yellow one's Yami no Amane, and the purple one's Jos. 

WSJ: Yami no Amane would be from _Her Ring_, but Jos? 

Skank: Jou-Otogi-Sorority. 

WSJ: Oh yeah, that one. :p 

Bakura: [makes a sour face as he tries to pry Himura-P off his head] Wonderful. How do we make them go away? 

WSJ: We can't. 

Bakura: Kuso! 

WSJ: [shrugs] At least it's cute... Who knows, Amoura might want them as pets. 

Bakura: Oh gods I hope not... 

Skank: [snickers] 

WSJ: :D Anyway, I had _SO_ much fun writing the Ryou and Yami section. X3 Then again, I wrote most of it while I was having dizzy spells so bad I could barely type straight, so maybe my perspective's a little screwed. :p 

**Chapter 15:** WSJ: (V/O) Well, it's time again for another super-long special! This time, we're headed back to Egypt once again. 

Yami: [grins widely as he steps outside] It's about time I came back here... 

WSJ: (V/O) But unfortunately, it's not all fun and games. 

Mahaado: [hisses through clenched teeth] Tomb robber... 

Ryou: [squeaks slightly, shaking in fear] 

WSJ: (V/O) Sadness abounds, but a gift in the form of a vision brings some form of comfort... 

Bakura: [bursts into the house with tears in his eyes] Ammâh! _Ammâh!!_

Yami: [flings himself face-down on the bed and begins to sob] Oh Teana... 

WSJ: (V/O) Or maybe just sorrow... All this and more, next time! 

God bless minna-san! 


	15. Blood on Sand: Revelation of the Past!

WSJ: [cursing fervently in Egyptian and stomping around her room. The three muses that she kidnapped from Ebony Kuroneko to go to Mexico with her are sitting around with Bakura and sweatdropping. Skank is curled up like a cat with his tail over his nose, apparently asleep. The four plot bunnies are lounging with the muses]

Sekil: [raises an eyebrow] What's her problem?

Bakura: [chuckles] She bought a whole box of YGO cards down in Mexico for two dollars, and she's just figured out they're bootlegs.

Sekil: [blink] What? How does she know?

Bakura: They don't have the little holographic Eye of Horus square in the bottom corner.

Sekil: Ooooh. Tough cookies, SJ.

Nozomi: [grouchily chugging coffee] You might have known, SJ. No one would be crazy enough to sell a promo Winged Dragon of Ra box for two bucks.

WSJ: [whine] But it had _Ishtar_ on the box! I couldn't just _leave_ it there!

Naosu: [giggles] You're funny, loff.

WSJ: There are sooo many good cards in there!! [looks distressed] There's a Needle Wall card! My favorite trap _ever_! And a Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier! And a Luster Dragon! It's not _faaaaaiiiiiiir_...

Bakura & Sekil: [are finding this very amusing]

Nozomi: [ignores her whining and goes to look for more coffee]

Naosu: [sweatdrop] Not loff...

WSJ: Eh heh... Right. On to the fic! No idea how long this will be, but it promises to be huge. =D Maybe even as big as the snowstorm chapter!

Bakura: Oh Ra, deliver me from this evil... [gets whacked]

Disclaimer: I don't own YGO. Amoura is Brood Mayran's. Sekil, Arca, and Lark (as well as Naosu) are Ebony Kuroneko's. (Nozomi is HCG's) You should get the idea by now. ;) However, I do claim Jonathon, the Elementals, Shahi, Ammâh, and a couple other OCs.

Pocky is a kind of Japanese snackfood. It's kinda sorta like an American Kitkat, except it can come in different flavors.

[looks sympathetically at the poor, innocent souls who don't know the joys of the ITS] A thespian is basically a high school actor or actress. It's a "club", if you will, the International Thespian Society. Loads of fun. Lots of acting. Many conferences and meeting of new people (or old friends). [grins and high-fives Myotismon13 and Brood Mayran]

[looks around furtively and then darts over to put her hands over NeoChaosCrystal's mouth] Shhhh! You're not supposed to be that observant! [sweatdrop]

**Note**: Okay, this could get a bit confusing. We're going to have a song-fic within a song-fic, so to speak. That is, one song starts, then the other one starts and finishes, and then the first one finishes. Therefore, lyrics in _italics_ are from "Into the West", by Annie Lennox. Lyrics in **_italics and bold_** are from "All I Ever Wanted", by Amick Byram. I own neither one. Obviously.

Muse-ic of the Moment: Loreena McKennitt-sama!! [hums "The Old Ways" and "All Souls Night" under her breath]

**Vocabulary:**   
_Ammâh_ - Hebrew - mother   
_Abba_ - Hebrew - father   
_Abu_ - Arabic & Egyptian - father   
_Musume_ - Japanese - daughter   
_Meri_ - Egyptian - beloved

()()()()()

Home Sweet Home

Chapter 15 - Blood on Sand: Revelation of the Past!

_Quote of the Fic:_

_"Life without pain isn't real, how do I know, because it's the truth, and the truth hurts."   
(Isamu Dyson - Macross Plus)_

For Ebony,  
Who wouldn't let me stop   
until I was done.

The instant they stepped off the plane, Yami and Bakura knew they were home. The air was hot and dry, the men in their robes and turbans were speaking their native tongue (well, mostly, at any rate) [1]. Outside the windows were rolling hills of sand.

Egypt, at long last.

For nearly the first time in five thousand years of life, Yami was struck speechless as he stepped outside the airport in Cairo. Bakura, too, was silent at the awesome sight of the majestic Pyramids of Giza, rising from the sand just a few miles away.

Shen snorted. "What, you're Egyptians yet you've never seen the Giza Plateau before?"

Ryou frowned and elbowed his father in the side. "Shush, tou-san. They were born four hundred miles south of here. No wonder they've never seen Giza."

"We've heard of it," Bakura said quietly. "Tales of great mountains in the north, built by our ancestors. But we've never had the fortune to see them before..."

"I wish we had the time to visit them..." Yami said, the longing clearly evident in his voice.

Isis smiled and glanced at Shen, who shrugged. "I don't see why we can't," she said. "It shouldn't take more than a day. Shaadi and the others have waited this long to get the problems with Mahaado resolved so they can get into the tomb, a little longer won't hurt them. We'll go see the pyramids today, stay at Shepherd's tonight, and head back to the dig tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Yami said, smiling gratefully and bowing to her. "Thank you very much." Bakura nodded his thanks as well, and Shen grinned.

"Well, we'd better get going then. ....Isis? Do you remember where we parked?"

Isis sighed and shook her head as the three boys laughed. She easily pointed the way back to the jeep, and after a few minutes all the luggage was loaded into the back. Shen hopped into the driver's seat, and Isis climbed in next to him, while Ryou, Yami, and Bakura squeezed themselves into the back. Shen started up the car, and a moment later they were roaring down the dusty roads on their way to the Shepherd's Hotel.

"There aren't any proper roads leading to the pyramids," Isis explained, nearly having to yell to be heard over the noise of the Cairo streets, which were crowded with tourists, locals selling their wares, and stubborn pack animals. "It's much easier to rent camels to get out there. And besides, there aren't many cars in Cairo at all, and the streets are almost always packed with people and animals."

It was true. It took them almost twenty minutes to drive the short distance between the airport and the hotel. Shepherd's had been built in the 1840's, and was known all over Cairo as the Archaeologist's Hotel. Many famous Egyptologists had stayed there at one time or another, including the famous Emerson family. Shen had always made it a point to stay there when he was in Cairo, and he'd recently discovered that back in his own archaeologist days, Pegasus Crawford had used it often too. [2]

"Here we are," Shen shut down the jeep and climbed out, going around the front of the car to help Isis out. "Why don't you boys go put your things in a room and change out of your traveling clothes while I see about getting us a couple camels." He didn't wait for a reply and headed off into the thongs of tourists and Arabs that coated Cairo's streets. After arming themselves with their bags, the trio followed Isis inside.

She conversed for a few minutes with the desk clerk, and then came back to where they stood. Bakura was examining with a critical eye a statue in a glass case that was supposedly from the 11th Dynasty. Yami was carrying on an animated conversation in Arabic with one of the guests, an archaeologist by the look of him, and Ryou was rummaging around in his backpack for something. Isis started to announce that they could go up to their room now, but was interrupted as Bakura poked her.

"No way this is genuine," Bakura said, scowling and gesturing to the statue. "Oh sure, it's ancient, but sure as hell it's not from the 11th Dynasty. 19th, at the earliest. Looks like it was made to imitate the style of the 11th Dynasty, and they did a pretty decent job, I'll give them that."

Isis carefully hid a smile. Once a tomb thief, always a tomb thief. She opened her mouth to tell him his room number, but was again interrupted as Yami said something loudly in Arabic behind her. She sighed wearily and turned to find Yami and the archaeologist arguing loudly about some minor point of Egypt's 18th Dynasty's line of kings.

"Look, trust me, I _know_ what all the history books claim!" Yami said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "But Pharaoh Atemu was the son of Akunamukanon, who was the son of a Theban noble who lived during the reign of Amenhotep III. Amenhotep died, and Akunamukanon took the throne, followed by Atemu, Sethos I, Ramses I, and _then_ the Heretic!"

Bakura strolled over and leaned his elbow against Yami's shoulder. "He's right," he told the archaeologist, also in Arabic. "And believe me, he knows these things."

"Impossible," the archaeologist huffed, "All records clearly point to Ankhenaton directly succeeding his father. Atemu was a regent, or else only a regional official who was mistakenly given the title 'pharaoh' by careless scribes in later years. As for this 'Sethos', no official records of him have ever been found. He's merely a myth, along with the 'King Thief' that was supposed to have wandered the necropolis during that time."

Isis, seeing that Bakura looked scandalized and Yami was almost purple with rage, decided it was about time she stepped in. Quickly inserting herself between the two Egyptians and the archaeologist, she smiled as pleasantly as she could. As it was, the smile was rather strained. "Yami, Bakura, why don't you two go get changed? You two are in room 26b, on the second floor. Ryou and his father are in 26a, and I'm across the hall."

Ryou stifled a laugh as he caught the warning note in her voice, and stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Come on you two," he said in Japanese. "Let's leave the poor man alone."

Yami and Bakura both shot the unfortunate archaeologist heated glares, but grabbed their bags and allowed themselves to be led away by the still chuckling telepath.

After they'd gone, the archeologist turned to Isis with wide eyes. "That young man certainly knew a lot about Egypt! Before we got onto the subject of kingship, he was debating me point for point on Egyptian religion! And he certainly has very strong opinions... Is he a friend of yours, by any chance?"

Isis didn't know whether to laugh or sweatdrop. "You could say that..."

Up in the room they had the marvelous fortune to be sharing, Yami and Bakura were both changing clothes. Both of them had been wearing jeans and t-shirts, because in France it had only been in the 60's. Here the temperature was nearly 100, and they were franticly changing into anything they could find that was cooler. Yami pulled a tanktop and a pair of shorts out of his bag, while Bakura found a tanktop of his own and a pair of light-weight Chinese style silk pants.

Bakura pulled off his shirt in preparation to putting on the tanktop he'd found, and Yami felt a grotesque sense of deja vu. "Oh Ra..."

Bakura looked at him strangely, then blinked and glanced down at his bare chest. "Oh, these? What, you've never seen me shirtless before, Yami?" Mutely, the pharaoh shook his head. While no where near as bad or as numerous as Ryou's, Bakura's lithe form carried scars as well. One of them, on the left side of his chest over his heart, was long, jagged, and deep, made by the knife Seto Kaiba had wielded during the Locking Rituals. A little below and to the right of it, just under Bakura's breastbone, was another scar, one much smaller but no less deep. This was the wound that had killed him when he'd been shot by Briar-Rose during the Second Locking Rituals. When Bakura turned to snag his shirt, Yami saw that the wound really must have been worse that either Bakura or Ryou had ever let on, because evidently the bullet had passed all the way through Bakura. There was another scar on his back where it had exited.

Bakura glanced over his shoulder at Yami and smirked as he pulled his shirt on over his head. "What, you thought wounds like that would heal up perfectly?"

Yami just gaped at him. "But... But both of them were healed with magic!"

"So?" Bakura shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Now come on, let's go."

Yami shot him a look as the door the room beside theirs opened and Ryou stepped out. Bakura raised an eyebrow at his little brother's appearance, and Yami turned to see what was so strange. To his surprise, Ryou was dressed in jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved t-shirt. His hair was tied back into a low tail, and a wide-brimmed hat was perched on his head. The only skin that seemed to be showing was his hands and face.

"What the heck, Ryou?" Bakura asked. "You're going to boil yourself!"

Ryou sighed. "I know, but I'll burn if I'm not completely covered. So it's either sweat like a dog or burn like Shishio." [3]

Yami frowned. "You go out in the sun like that and you'll have a heat stroke."

"You don't have to come with us," Bakura said. "You can stay here and read, or something, if you'd like."

Ryou's face brightened considerably, and he looked relieved. "Really? You don't mind? It's not like I'd be able to see the pyramids anyway, and I don't fancy having to ride for an hour on the camel just to get hot and sweaty."

Yami and Bakura both chuckled appreciatively, and Bakura ruffled Ryou's hair. "Sure, stay here. We should be back before dinner time."

Ryou nodded and thanked them again, and then they parted ways. Ryou went back into his room to change into something much cooler now that he didn't have to worry about the sun, and Yami and Bakura headed downstairs.

Once changed, Ryou flopped down on one of the two beds in the room and pulled one of his braille novels out of his bag. The lights were off and the curtains were drawn, but it wasn't like he needed the light. For awhile the telepath tried to read, but even though this book was one of his favorites, he just couldn't seem to get into it. Teppic and Ptraci just didn't hold as much lure as they usually did. [4]

Finally he gave up and set the book down on the table next to the bed. He pulled the Ring over his head and set it on the table as well, then rolled over and kicked off his shoes. Settling against the pillows, he prepared to take a little mid-day siesta when he felt something brush against his mind. Normally this would have put him on guard instantly, but the presence was a familiar and comforting one. It beckoned to him, and he had no choice but to follow.

_"Hey kid, listen to me, something's going really wrong in the realms..."_

Lulled by the voice that coaxed him into a dreamworld where they could talk more easily, Ryou fell asleep.

-()-

"Where's Ryou?" Shen asked as Yami and Bakura came down the stairs.

"He decided to stay here," Bakura said, shrugging. "He didn't much fancy getting burned red as a lobster just to go not see a few piles of rocks."

Shen chuckled. "Yeah, I thought it might be something like that. If he hadn't decided to stay on his own, I was going to suggest it. Well, since that's settled, shall we go?"

He led the way outside to where Isis was standing with an Arabic man and a quartet of camels. Yami's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the beasts. Camels, almost twice the height of a normal man, seemed huge compared to the ex-pharaoh. He halted in his tracks and Bakura, who was behind him, gave him a strange look. "Are you all right, Yami?"

The pharaoh nodded, blinking rapidly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Were those always so... big?"

Bakura's eyebrows shot up. "What, camels? Don't tell me you've never ridden one before!"

Yami shook his head, his eyes still locked on the camels, which were regarding him in placid disinterest. Bakura rolled his eyes and took Yami by the elbow, pulling him forward. "Oh brother!"

"Hey!" Yami snapped, though he made no move to shake off Bakura's grip. "Bet you've never ridden one either!"

"Nope." Bakura said cheerfully. "But I'm not afraid of 'em, either."

Now Yami did pull out of Bakura's grasp. The pharaoh turned to glare at his white-haired companion and reached out to poke him stiffly in the chest. "Now see here you sand rat-!"

"Oooh..." Bakura smirked as Isis and Shen sweatdropped. "I think I struck a nerve!"

Yami sputtered in indignation and was about to say more when there was a sharp tug on his hair. He yelped in pain, raising his fists to beat off his attacker. Dimly he was aware of the fact that Shen and Isis looked mildly scandalized, the Arabic camel driver looked amused, and Bakura was laughing his head off and leaning against the nearest camel for support. Yami's flailing fists encountered coarse fur and flesh. If his hair hadn't been in the grip of a camel, Yami might have face-faulted.

"Gross!" he hissed as camel spit ran down the back of his neck. "Let go you flea-bitten beast! I was pharaoh before your ancestors' ancestors were alive!"

"Your hair looks too much like food!" Bakura cackled, tears of mirth running down his cheeks. "I always told you it was too bush-like, palace brat!"

"Shut up, Frodo." Yami growled, trying in vain to free his hair from the munching camel. "Just shut up." He finally managed to rip himself away from the camel and stumbled back a couple steps, glaring daggers at it. The camel almost seemed to be snickering, a rather large clump of black and magenta hair hanging from its mouth. "Filthy beast!"

Half-dreading what he may find, or rather not find, Yami lifted a hand to his smarting head. There was a dent in his spikes, but not as bad of one as he'd feared.

Bakura grinned and darted past Yami to hug the snickering camel around the neck. "I want this one! It understands me!"

Yami glared darkly as Shen went into a coughing fit to hide his laughter. Isis was conversing with the camel driver, and now she turned and gestured toward the pyramids. "Well, shall we go?"

Yami was still staring mistrustfully at the camels. Shen and Isis grabbed the halters of two of the ones Bakura _wasn't_ cooing over. Taking the riding crops from the camel driver, Isis handed them out and then used hers to whack her chosen mount smartly on the rump. It obediently knelt, and with a boost from Shen she easily scrambled on.

Bakura looked mildly shocked as Shen whacked his camel in the same manner. "I'm not going to hit Pharaoh-chan!" He hugged the camel tighter as it chomped smugly on the stolen hair.

Yami twitched, clutching the riding crop. "Pharaoh-chan? Aren't you taking this just a little bit too far?"

Bakura snickered and winked. "You think so? But my P-chan's just so smart, taking a chunk out of bush-head like that!"

And somewhere far away, a pig sneezed.

But back to Egypt, because shape-shifting little black pigs don't matter much except in the eyes of fangirls. ;)

Yami twitched again.

Bakura, grinning like an idiot, leaned forward and began to talk to the camel quietly. After a moment he'd managed to coax the camel into a kneeling position by words alone, no hitting involved. He grinned triumphantly at Yami and he climbed into the saddle and the camel came ponderously to its feet.

"Show-off..." Yami muttered. Warily, he approached the single remaining camel with the crop held out in front of him like a weapon. The camel watched him, contentedly re-chewing its breakfast. Then it did a few mental calculations, took careful aim, and Yami had no time to dodge.

Growling, the ex-pharaoh wiped camel spit off his face, trying to ignore Bakura's uproarious laughter from behind him.

"I _hate_ camels..." he muttered passionately, stalking up the camel and smacking it with the crop, just as Isis and Shen had done. It craned its neck to peer at him and snorted, making no move to kneel whatsoever. Scowling fiercely, Yami proceeded to hit it several more times. "Kneel, curse you!"

"Having trouble, palace brat?" Bakura asked from above and behind him, his voice still laced with laughter. A moment later Yami was lifted by his collar and found himself sprawled across the back of the camel. He muttered several choice curses in several languages as he sat up and got properly into the lumpy saddle, wishing he was close enough to hit the laughing ex-thief.

"I hate Bakura too..."

It didn't take as long as they thought it would to reach the pyramids, but by the time they arrived even the native Egyptians were sweating. Yami and Bakura both slid off their camels and dropped to their knees in the sand, their eyes wide as they silently stared in wonder. Chuckling, Isis put a hand on her pharaoh's shoulder. "Would you like to go inside?"

Yami and Bakura exchanged startled glances. "They're not still sealed?" Yami asked, a trace of indignation in his voice.

Bakura let out a short, barking laugh. "No tombs in Egypt exist that still are."

"I suppose that's true," Yami sighed. "Between modern archaeologists and _certain tomb robbers_."

Bakura just smiled innocently as Shen and Isis shook their heads.

It was a matter of a few minutes to locate an Arab boy to hold their camels for them while they went inside the Great Pyramid. Climbing up to the entrance was tiring work, as was scampering through the shafts that led upward into the heart of the monument. Isis and Shen were used to it, and to Bakura it was like going home, but Yami was beginning to feel slightly claustrophobic by the time they immerged into the Grand Gallery, the long, tall hallway that led to the King's Chamber. As they walked along it, their footfalls echoed against the stone. They were the only ones there.

"May Osiris bless the souls that built this..." Yami murmured. "It's amazing..."

Bakura said nothing, but when the four of them finally ducked through the door that led to the King's Chamber, he snorted in surprise and stopped dead in his tracks. Yami too, looked surprised. "What in the hells..."

"What's wrong?" Isis asked, glancing at the two of them.

"This is all wrong..." Yami muttered, walking up to the lidless, empty sarcophagus with a confused look on his face, one hand absently resting on the Puzzle. "This isn't a burial chamber..."

Bakura was nodding his agreement, staring intently at the smooth stone walls. "There should be carvings or paintings, but there's neither."

Shen and Isis exchanged shocked looks. People had theorized this same thing before, but hearing it come from the mouths of two inhabitants of ancient Egypt itself was something of a surprise. "Some archaeologists do believe there are undiscovered rooms in this pyramid," Shen admitted after he'd regained his voice. "But it's never been proved."

Bakura smirked, and he and Yami traded looks. "Well well, seems that whoever 'robbed' this tomb didn't do a very good job of it."

"You mean there _are_ other rooms?" Isis asked excitedly. This could be the find of the century!

Bakura laughed, and it had a slightly bitter ring to it. "We're not telling you anything, sweetheart! If they haven't been found yet, then gods forbid those rooms be unsealed."

Yami was nodding. "Our tombs are sacred, Isis. As an archaeologist you may not understand, but we won't voluntarily let you violate the graves of our ancestors if we can help it. But yes, there are other rooms." [5]

Isis and Shen stared openmouthed as Yami and Bakura both turned and bowed to the empty sarcophagus, and then left without a word. After a moment Shen turned to his companion. "Did they just admit...?" The two archaeologists blinked at each other for a long moment, then shook their heads and followed the two ex-spirits.

By the time they reached the outside of the pyramid again, Bakura had already paid the boy and was holding the reins to all four camels. Yami was standing a few feet away and casting wary glances at the beasts. Bakura, predictably, was snickering.

Their next stop was the Sphinx, only a few minutes walk from the Great Pyramid. Yami and Bakura were as in awe of this as the pyramid, in fact almost more so. Both of them went to their knees again between the Sphinx's paws and began murmuring in Egyptian what the archaeologists recognized as prayers of protection. Bakura must have been really shaken if he, a self-proclaimed atheist, were invoking the gods. After a moment, Isis and Shen realized that the two were no longer praying, but talking earnestly together. Their words were too fast and too low for the archaeologists to catch, especially with their imperfect command of Egyptian.

"(I wonder if the legends are true...)" Bakura mused, staring up at the huge stone Sphinx.

"(Which ones?)" Yami asked. "(The ones about Ra's library or the ones about the Sphinx avenging anyone who defiled a pharaoh's tomb?)"[6]

"(Any of them,)" Bakura said quietly, his voice strangely subdued. "(So much of what we believed was wrong, wasn't it Atemu?)"

"(Yes,)" Yami sighed, not even commenting, or perhaps not realizing, that Bakura had used his true name. "(So much ground in tradition that killed us all... They say history can only be understood when looked back upon, and for my poor country that is certainly true... If there hadn't been so much damn inbreeding among the royal family, then maybe...)"

"(Maybes don't bring our home back,)" Bakura said softly, putting a hand on Yami's shoulder. "(And maybes don't stop us from missing it... Outlaw that I was, I did love Egypt, my pharaoh. I do miss it.)"

"(So do I. More then anything else in the world...)"

-()-

When the four of them finally returned to the hotel late that afternoon, Yami was quite ready to get rid of his camel for good. He'd nearly run out of curses to call it, Bakura's constant laughter was beginning to give him a headache, and he was seriously considering sending that stupid camel to the Shadow Realm. The camel driver was waiting for them in front of Shepherd's, and Yami couldn't seem to get off his camel fast enough.

"Hm, now what shall I tell Yugi about this little endeavor?" Bakura snickered, giving his own 'P-chan' a fond pat before handing its reins to the herder. "I wonder if he'll believe me when I tell him his yami nearly got eaten by a vicious, rabid camel..."

"Shut up, Frodo," Yami growled, whacking Bakura on the shoulder none too lightly. Bakura snickered, but said nothing more. He didn't really feel like spending a day in the Shadow Realm himself, and then trying to explain it to Ryou.

Isis and Shen went to see about arranging dinner, while Yami and Bakura headed upstairs to their room. Yami grabbed a towel and clean clothes and went into the bathroom for a quick shower, still muttering about tomb thieves and demon camels. Bakura, trying not to laugh at him, just shook his head and left. The white-haired man turned to face the door that led to Ryou's room and knocked quietly. When there was no answer, he tried the door and found it unlocked.

Blinking against the darkness he found, Bakura stepped inside. After a moment, his eyes adjusted, and he could make out Ryou's silhouette, sitting on one of the beds and apparently staring blankly at the wall.

Ryou's expression was blank, and Bakura felt his heart flutter slightly in fear. Ryou looked... soulless. But then the hikari shook himself slightly and looked up, and Bakura breathed a sigh of relief as he hurried to sit next to his brother. He was shocked to find that Ryou was shaking, and hurriedly wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Ryou, what's wrong?"

"I -I," Ryou shuddered and leaned back against Bakura. "I had a vision. It was all muddled, like it always is. Just a jumble of voices and images..."

Bakura tightened his grip on his brother's shoulders, mostly from reflex. "What was it about, otouto? Could you tell?"

Ryou shook his head, his eyes squeezed shut. "Something is going to happen among the realms soon, taking not just ours, but many others... Something very old, and yet very young... It was all a blur. But I know one thing, Bakura," He opened his eyes, and for a moment seemed to look up at Bakura. "The one who told me was-"

He never got the chance to finish. He was interrupted by someone knocking on his half-open door. A moment later Yami stuck his head in, his hair still wet from his shower. "Shen says we should come down to supper now. We're eating in the hotel restaurant downstairs." He then ducked out, and Ryou and Bakura could hear his footsteps receding down the hallway.

Bakura patted Ryou on the shoulder. "Shall we?" The telepath had calmed down considerably now, and he nodded. His vision could wait for a better time. The two left, Ryou closing and locking the door behind him. Then they went downstairs to supper.

The restaurant was pretty nice, and they all had a good dinner. At one point Ryou commented that this was probably the only time in a thousand millennia that a pharaoh and a tomb robber had voluntarily sat down together for dinner. The remark promptly got him pelted with French fries by both parties. All in all, there was much laughter at the table, and Isis was happy to see that Yami and Bakura really did have a deep, strong friendship. It would aid them well in what the Millennium Tauk showed her was coming.

They sat at their table late into the night, long after the dessert plates had been cleared away, and just talked. Shen told stories from his two year stint in Japan's army. Isis talked about her days in archaeology, and how much she and Shaadi loved the world of Egypt. Ryou spoke of some of his adventures, ones only Bakura had been there for. Bakura told of the day long ago when he'd seen Yami for the first time, when both of them had been barely five. Yami told of his coronation, and of the day he'd found a tiny baby girl on the steps of his palace and adopted her as his own. No one noticed the flicker of pain that went across Bakura's face when the baby was mentioned.

It was nearly midnight when they finally retreated to their rooms. Ryou lay down and fell asleep almost immediately. Next door, things didn't go quite so smoothly.

Yami growled and rolled over in bed, trying to resist the urge to throw something at Bakura. The ex-tomb thief was mumbling in his sleep, in between loud, snorting snores. Yami didn't know what he was muttering about, but since he heard Amoura's name more then once he figured he probably didn't _want_ to know.

Finally giving up, Yami jumped out of his bed and onto Bakura's, stuffing his pillow over the tomb robber's face. Bakura awoke after one more snort, and began thrashing in bed. After a moment he managed to throw Yami off of him and sat panting, staring at the pharaoh. "You were trying to kill me!"

"I was not," Yami grumbled, pulling himself off the floor. "I was trying to muffle your snoring so I could actually get some sleep."

Bakura stuck his tongue out at the pharaoh. "I don't snore, you ninny!"

"You do too!" Yami accused, flopping back onto his own bed. "I'm surprised Isis doesn't hear it across the hall!"

Bakura snorted and rolled his eyes, laying back down. "If you _say_ so... Good night, palace brat."

"G'night Frodo."

They woke up early the next morning, and right after breakfast they all stuffed themselves into the jeep for the ride to the dig. It was a long ride, especially in the heat and with all of them crammed together. By the time they reached the dig around lunch time, they were all more then ready to get out of the car.

They piled out nearly on top of each other as Shaadi, Solomon, and Arthur immerged from the tents to greet them. Socrates came running too, and wound herself around Ryou's ankles, purring loudly. Shaadi had just finished fixing up lunch, so they all went into the biggest tent to sit down and eat and talk.

"We're so close!" Bakura said enthusiastically, smacking one fist into the palm of his other hand. "Just think Ryou, another hour or two and it will all be over."

The archaeologists looked startled. "Bakura, you don't plan to go to the tomb right after lunch, do you?" Isis asked, her voice slightly alarmed.

Bakura gave her a strange look. "Why not?" he asked. "We can get it over with as soon as possible."

Shen shook his head. "Bad idea. Wait until tonight, at least. Then Mana will be able to go in with you."

"Why wouldn't she be able to go with us now?" Yami asked, one hand resting on the Puzzle, and the tips of two fingers stroking its smooth surface like a golden worry stone.

"She can only be outside the tomb at night," Shaadi explained. "If you were to go now, likely as not Mana would not be able to get to you before Mahaado could. Besides, if it seems like Mana is bringing you with her, maybe Mahaado will accept you easier and not attack outright."

Yami looked shocked, and he sat up straighter. "I am his pharaoh! He wouldn't dare-"

He was cut off as the tent flap was pushed aside and a familiar winged goddess stepped inside. Fate smiled widely and nodded at Bakura, and bowed to Yami, who bowed in return. But when Fate's eyes came to rest on Ryou, she seemed surprised to see that her son was there. "Ryou! I thought you were going to stay with Serenity!"

Ryou gave her a defiant look. "Mother, I must see this through to the end. If anything, this is all my fault."

"Rubbish," Bakura sneered. "It's all Mahaado's fault. Or mine, if anyone's. Don't you dare take this guilt on your shoulders too, Ryou."

There was an insistent squeaking sound from around Fate's ankles, and Yami and Bakura looked down. It seemed that Priestess had decided to come in with Fate. Upon seeing the Kuriboh, Bakura's eyes widened until they threatened to pop out of his skull. Yami nearly fell off the crate he was sitting on. "That's Mana's pet Kuriboh!"

Fate raised her eyebrows, a smile playing around her lips. "Oh, is it? I hadn't noticed."

Yami gave her a sharp look as Priestess climbed up onto his lap, purring happily. He scratched her back and her rumbling grew louder. She closed her eyes in happy contentment.

"I never thought I'd see a real one again," Yami said softly. "Not after I sealed them away..."

Fate chuckled. "Priestess's will was so strong, she refused to be sealed. She was not the only one."

Yami's eyes grew wide, and beside him so did Bakura's. "What do you mean?" Bakura asked excitedly. "There were other monsters that weren't sealed away into the tablets? Ones that are still loose?"

Fate nodded, smiling at their amazement, and that of the archaeologists and Ryou. "Yes. There's a Feral Imp and two Kuriboh in your tomb, Yami, and though they're dead they're also quite real."

"Inkhept, Basta, Ankhas," Yami murmered the names of his pets, a smile playing around his face. "I miss them."

"Who else?" Bakura asked eagerly. "Are there any still around?"

Fate had a sudden vision of Bakura perched on top of one of the various dragons and tried not to snicker. "No, none except Priestess are alive now. But there were others that survived beyond the time of the sealing. The White Dragon did, and there were others."

"Kisara," Yami mumbled, as if a new memory had been awoken. "The girl that held the dragon ka. At the time of my death, she was still a prisoner of Akunadin. What happened to her?"

Fate smiled to see the pharaoh's concern. "Soon after your death, when your High Priest Sethos took the throne, he released her from his father's prison and made her his queen. They ruled and lived together happily for many years, with the White Dragon sleeping inside of her. When she did die, of entirely natural causes, the Dragon was released."

Bakura chuckled. "Kaiba married Kisara, eh? Hey Yami, wanna bet he'll like the fact he became pharaoh slightly more then the fact he was a priest?"

"Probably," Yami agreed, chuckling.

"Woah woah, hold on," Shen made a T with his hands as if calling a time-out. "Can someone please explain what's just been said to the non-reincarnates?"

Bakura chuckled. "In our time Seto Kaiba was Yami's High Priest. Yami had a daughter, but when he died she was only, what was it Yami? Four or five?"

"Four," Yami said.

"Well anyway, she was too young to rule." Bakura continued. "So for twenty years or so, Kaiba acted as regent-pharaoh until Shahi was old enough to rule on her own. Kisara was a foreign girl, who carried the ka of the Blue Eyes White Dragon inside her soul. Akunadin wanted to kill her and draw out the dragon so Seto could use it to forcefully take the throne from Yami, but Kaiba refused because he'd fallen in love with Kisara. Apparently, after Yami and I kicked the bucket, they got married."

"And there was a child," Fate said, the corners of her eyes crinkling in laughter. "A son who became pharaoh like his father. Ramses the First."

Yami blinked. "If Seto's son became pharaoh, he would have had to have married Shahi."

Fate nodded, trying not to laugh at the strangled expression on Bakura's face, which Yami appeared not to notice. The tomb robber looked like he'd swallowed a scorpion and realized it was still alive. Ryou was carefully hiding a grin behind his hands. Yami turned and blinked at his friend. "Bakura, what's wrong?"

"Er..." Bakura struggled, and finally managed, to put on his usual 'taunting-the-pharaoh' smirk. "Just thinking about how amusing it is that your daughter married Kaiba's son, that's all."

Ryou grinned widely, and his telepathic voice rang in Bakura's head. _"(It's even more amusing that it was actually_ your_ daughter that married Kaiba's son. Talk about your mixed bloodlines...)"_

_"(Shut up.)"_ Bakura thought back in his direction, and Ryou snickered quietly.

Yami looked back and forth between the two. Most of Ryou's friends had learned to tell when he was speaking to someone mind-to-mind, and Yami was no exception. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Ryou said, grinning. "Just a stray thought I had."

Bakura snorted, and Ryou smiled at him innocently. Yami rolled his eyes. "To get back to the subject at hand, Lady Fate, do you think it would be wiser to go to the tomb and confront Mahaado now, or wait until nightfall?"

Fate looked thoughtful, and slightly wistful. "It's been a long time since you have sought my council, Atemu."

Yami chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Good point," Fate amended, smiling. "I believe it would be better to wait until after dark. Mana will be able to guide you, then, and perhaps the sight of her on your side will stay Mahaado's hand."

"He would never attack me..." Yami insisted, but his voice held more doubts then before.

Fate shook her head sadly. "He would, and he probably will, Atemu. He's no longer the man we knew."

Yami sighed. "Ryou told me as much, but I don't want to believe it."

"Believe it," Ryou said quietly.

Fate saw the despairing look begin to creep over Yami's face, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing can stay the same, my friend. But not everything has to change, either." One of her wings wrapped itself around the pharaoh's shoulders, hugging him slightly. He smiled at her and nodded.

The day passed, as days will. Supper was a fine affair, which Fate joined them for, despite the fact that she technically didn't need to eat. Yami spent most of the meal sneaking tidbits to Socrates and Priestess under the table, and the others pretended not to notice. Soon after dinner, the sun began to sink below the horizon, and the mood sobered. It wasn't long before the tent flap was pushed aside, and a familiar magess stepped inside.

Yami had been sitting on one of the cots, talking quietly to Bakura, but when Mana came in he rose to his feet.

Mana's weary blue eyes swept around the room. She nodded cordially to each of the archaeologists, smiled at Ryou and Bakura, and curtsied to Fate. When her eyes landed on Yami, she gasped slightly and dropped to her knees, bowing her head before her pharaoh. "Your Majesty. I-I was not sure you would come."

In two strides Yami was across the tent and anxiously pulling Mana to her feet. "Please, none of that. I'm not pharaoh anymore."

"You are to me," Mana said, her eyes still lowered.

Yami took the chance to study her. Her blond hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, framing a slender face and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in long, soft white robes, belted with a strip of yellow-orange cloth. A pendant carved with the likeness of the goddess Hathor rested lightly against her breasts. In her left hand she held her staff, the same one that the Dark Magician Girl wielded on her card.

She hadn't changed. Yami could clearly remember the first time he'd met her in a certain bank of jars in his palace, when he was trying to hide from his tutor Simon, and she from her master, Mahaado. Though their giggling that day had found them both out, they'd become fast friends. No matter what.

Taking her chin gently in his hand, Yami tilted her face upward and made her look at him. "Mana, I'm your friend, not your pharaoh."

For one eternal moment Mana and Yami looked into each other's eyes. A lot was not said in that moment. Apologies were not voiced, regrets were not spoken, and the tearful reunion Bakura had half-expected never came to be. Mana just closed her eyes against Yami's violet gaze and nodded. Smiling a little, Yami stepped back and released her.

It took a moment for Mana to collect herself. She took a deep breath and passed one hand in front of her face, as if brushing away unseen spider webs. "I suppose you'll want to see Mahaado," she said softly. Bakura and Yami nodded in tandem, and she smiled a little. "I knew that would be your answer."

Without further word she turned and left the tent. Yami and Bakura followed without hesitation. Ryou stopped for a moment and turned back, as if his mother had spoken to him. Fate looked grim, and slightly annoyed. Ryou shook his head firmly, his mouth set in a defiant line, and then he turned and fled the tent after his brother and friends. Fate sighed deeply and sat down, putting the heel of one hand against her forehead as if she had a headache.

"It's begun."

[Cue music: _Into the West_ - Annie Lennox]

Mana reached the stairs that led down to the tomb first, and whispered a spell that lit up the end of her staff like a Christmas tree. She stepped lightly down the carved stone steps, Yami just behind her. Bakura paused at the top for a minute, waiting for Ryou to catch up.

"Ryou," Bakura caught his brother's arm as he tried to squeeze past. "You don't have to do this. I can read the fear in your face, little brother. You're terrified of Mahaado. Stay here. We'll be fine, I swear."

Ryou shook his head, and though his eyes were wide and scared, his feet were planted firmly, his fists clenched. "I won't let you leave me behind." His voice trembled only a little. "You need me more then you think."

Bakura sighed. "I wish there was some way to make you stay behind, but I know there isn't. Come on then."

Meanwhile, Yami and Mana had already entered the darkened tomb. Yami gasped in wonder at the paintings on the walls, scenes from his life that nearly took his breath away.

"I remember that day..." he said softly, running a hand over a scene that showed himself and Mahaado poling a skiff through the Nile, hunting water fowl with heavy sticks like boomerangs, made to break a bird's back on impact. "I got so annoyed when Mahaado took more birds then I did..."

Mana laughed quietly. "I remember it too. He came home strutting and gloating like nobody's business."

There was a sound from the shadows, like a soft footstep, and another light flared to life. This one shone from the end of another familiar staff, illuminating a man with deep purple hair and blue eyes the color of the wintertime sky. He, too, was dressed in soft white robes belted with blue, and a pendant etched with the Eye of Horus hung around his neck. "I remember too."

"Mahaado..." Yami breathed. It was undoubtedly his mage and friend, but there was something wrong in his eyes... Ryou and Fate were right, Mahaado was no longer the Mahaado he'd known so well.

Mahaado bowed his head, almost cordially. "My Pharaoh,"

_Lay down your sweet and weary head   
Night is falling,   
You have come to journey's end._

There was the strike of a footstep behind them, and Mana and Yami turned to see Bakura guide Ryou into the tomb, both of them looking around warily. Bakura's eyes flashed when he saw Mahaado, and he scowled. Ryou shuddered, and his hand went protectively to the Millennium Ring around his neck.

"You," Mahaado snarled, his voice cold. Yami turned to see that his eyes had gone hard, and he was scowling right back at Bakura.

"Mahaado," Bakura's voice was flat, but Yami noticed that he subtly stepped in front of Ryou, as if to protect him. The hikari was shaking like a leaf, and was backed up against one wall 'staring' at Mahaado with wide eyes.

Mahaado snarled, and suddenly he rounded on Yami. "How dare you bring this filth in here! He is the lowest of any people, yet you treat him like a friend! Traitor pharaoh!"

"Shut your mouth, camel face," Bakura hissed. "Leave Yami out of this."

In an instant Mahaado's staff was leveled at Yami's chest. "I will deal with whoever I want, slave!" Yami seemed paralyzed, unable to move out of the way of the spell Mahaado was readying, and he simply stared at the mage with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Bakura growled, deep in his throat, and darted a glance over his shoulder. Ryou was backed into a corner by imaginary demons, yet the telepath made little shooing motions at Bakura and shook his head. The tomb robber understood. There was nothing he could do to help or protect Ryou. There were other things he had to do.

In a moment's time Bakura dashed across the tomb, sliding in front of Yami with his arms spread and a determined scowl on his face, just as Mahaado let his spell loose. It hit Bakura square in the chest, and he let out a brief cry of pain before being driven into unconsciousness. He was tossed backward by the force of the blast, and Yami caught him before he could hit the ground.

The pharaoh looked in shock from the unconscious man in his arms to the mage, unable to believe that Mahaado had just attacked him. Even more unable to believe that Bakura had just possibly saved his life. Bakura was taller then Yami. If the spell had hit Bakura in the chest, it had been aimed for Yami's head. "Mahaado..."

_Sleep now,   
Dream of the ones who came before us._

"Bakura!!"

Mahaado's head snapped up to see Ryou, glowing a blazing white, standing across the room from him. The telepath had an absolutely murderous snarl on his face, and before Mahaado had a chance to react he threw out a hand toward the mad mage. Mahaado felt himself be picked up by an invincible force he could not break free of, and a moment later he was hurtled ten feet backward and directly into the solid stone wall of the tomb.

He let out a sharp cry as he hit, and fell to his knees when Ryou released the force that was holding him up. He kneeled there for a moment, panting slightly. When he raised his head, it was only to glare at Ryou. He climbed shakily to his feet, regaining the staff he'd dropped when he'd hit the wall.

Ryou squeaked in surprise when he realized Mahaado was unhurt by his assault, and he shrunk back in fear as Mahaado walked toward him.

_They are calling   
From across the distant shore._

Yami was still pinned under Bakura's weight, unwilling to simply drop the tomb robber to the floor. Mana appeared either too afraid or too shocked, or was simply unwilling, to interfere as Mahaado stalked toward the telepath.

Ryou whimpered and tried to back away, his fingers scrabbling against the stone at his back as if trying to claw his way through it. His eyes were wide in an almost animal fear, and beads of sweat were rolling down his face.

"Mahaado! Stop!"

The magician paid Yami no heed, and took another step toward Ryou, reaching out a hand to lightly, almost gently, caress Ryou's face with his fingers. To Yami's horror, Ryou screamed as if in pain, tried to pull away from the mage, but Mahaado grabbed him by the hair. Taking Ryou's chin roughly in his hand, Mahaado yanked Ryou forward until their foreheads touched.

"Mahaado!" Mana screamed. "Stop! You'll kill him!"

Yami recognized this as a position used by telepaths to magnify and focus their powers in on one person. Ryou screamed again, shutting his eyes in agony. Sweat was rolling down his face now. He writhed and smacked against Mahaado, trying to make the mage let him go, but Mahaado only grinned sadistically.

"Mahaado!!"

Yami nearly jumped out of his skin as Bakura pulled himself out of his arms. He hadn't been aware that the tomb thief was awake again. "Get the hell away from my hikari!" Almost seeming to fly, Bakura leaped across the intervening space and tackled Mahaado, knocking him away from Ryou, who collapsed bonelessly to the ground. In a moment, Yami was beside him, feeling for a pulse in the telepath's neck and sighing in relief when he found one.

Bakura and Mahaado were rolling around on the stone floor, snarling and snapping at each other like feral dogs. Both of them had a grip on Mahaado's Dark Magician staff, trying to wrestle it away from the other. Bakura had a murderous glint in his eyes that hadn't been seen since the days of Battle City, and the sight of it caused Yami to shiver in spite of himself.

"Both of you, stop it!" Yami yelled, trying to make himself heard over the sounds of the scuffle. "This is pointless! We shouldn't be fighting!"

"It won't be any use," Mana said softly, and Yami turned to see her kneeling next to Ryou, tears trickling down her cheeks. "They're both too stubborn to give up or turn their back on the other, and if Mahaado can get his staff back, Bakura's as good as dead." She sobbed quietly, and Yami could see five thousand years worth of sorrow etched in her face and eyes. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, as if trying to make a very tough decision. Yami was just about to go to her and try and comfort her when her eyes snapped open again.

Gone was the overwhelming sorrow and the tears in Mana's eyes, replaced with a kind of quiet sadness, but above all, determination. "Bakura!" she yelled, her voice surprisingly loud. "Break his staff! Shatter the jewel on the end of it!"

_Why do you weep?   
What are these tears upon your face?_

Bakura looked up, and for a moment his eyes met Mana's. Then he nodded, and his snarl of rage was replaced by a look of grim determination. He threw himself backward and onto his back, still holding on to Mahaado's staff. Mahaado yelled in surprise as Bakura coiled up and managed to center his feet against Mahaado's stomach. Kicking out with both feet, putting all his years of martial arts training into it, Bakura tossed Mahaado across the room, forcing the mage to let go of his staff or have his arms torn out of their sockets.

Before Mahaado could regain his bearings, Bakura had rolled back to his feet, the staff gripped tightly in both hands. He raised it over his head, and Mahaado cried out in fear or horror. Bakura's eyes narrowed as he stared at the mage.

"Go to hell."

Swinging the staff down, Bakura clubbed the end of it against the stone floor of the tomb. For one agonizing moment, nothing happened. Then, with a sound like a rock going through a pane of glass, the end of the staff shattered, scattering shards of green glass across the floor.

Mahaado mewled softly and reached out a hand toward Mana, as if begging her to help. For a moment the lovers stared at each other, and then Mana turned away. Face full of sadness, Mahaado turned to face Bakura and Yami, and they were surprised to see his eyes were clear, not dulled with the gleam of insanity as they had been before.

"I'm so sorry..." he whispered.

And then, like mist on a sunny day, he faded into nothing.

_Soon you will see, all of your fears will pass away,_

For a moment, everything was silent. Yami bowed his head and touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead, then to his lips, and then rested his hand over his heart in a final salute to his old friend.

Bakura threw the rest of the staff away with a slight snarl. He stared down at the shards of the jewel with clenched fists. Years ago, killing Mahaado would have brought him nothing but joy. Now, though, his heart was heavy, and he only felt pity for the fallen magician.

Mana sobbed quietly, one hand over her mouth. Yami rose from his kneeling posture and went over to her. He bent down and put an arm around her shoulders, whispering softly to her. She nodded to whatever he said, and got to her feet, allowing her pharaoh to lead her out of the tomb.

After they were gone, Bakura kicked at the ground, sending a shard of the jewel skittering across the ground. It came to rest near Ryou's hand, and Bakura sighed softly. Crouching, he gathered a few of the larger blue-green shards and put them into his pocket. Even someone like Mahaado needed to leave a legacy.

Like Yami before him, Bakura kissed the tips of his fingers and let them lightly brush the ground where Mahaado had knelt. "Rest in peace, you old bastard," he whispered.

Turning away, Bakura went to his brother's side and gathered Ryou up into his arms. The telepath was breathing evenly, and as far as Bakura could tell he was only asleep. Lifting Ryou into his arms, Bakura winced slightly as the telepath bumped against the spot on his chest where Mahaado's spell had hit him. Nothing serious though, probably only a bruise.

Bakura smiled slightly as he looked down at his former hikari. Ryou looked so peaceful, with his hair falling into his face and his mouth open slightly. So innocent. He didn't deserve all the crap that he had to deal with.

_..."I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever happened." _

_"So do all who live in such times."..._ [7]

Bakura chuckled and shook his head, pushing himself to his feet. Ryou moaned slightly in his arms, and Bakura hugged him closer. Taking one last look around the tomb, Bakura climbed back up the stairs and into the starlight.

_Safe in my arms,   
You're only sleeping._

Yami and Mana were already back with the others in the tent when Bakura came in with Ryou still unconscious in his arms. Yami and Mana were in the corner, and Fate and Yami were whispering quietly to Mana, slowly but surely calming her down. Shaadi, Shen, Solomon, and Arthur sat on crates or cots, rather uncomfortable and not sure what to do.

When Bakura stepped inside with Ryou, Shen let out a horrified cry and leaped to his feet, terrified that Mahaado had killed his son this time. Hearing her lover cry out, Fate turned away from Mana, and the goddess's eyes grew wide. "My baby!" Running across the tent, Fate swept Ryou out of Bakura's arms before the former spirit had anything to say about it. Cradling Ryou in her arms like a mother cat with wings, Fate looked just about as human as Bakura had ever seen. With Shen crowding in on one side and the look of worry on Fate's face, Bakura could easily see how much they loved Ryou.

Sighing softly, Bakura sat down on a crate with a gentle _thunk_, suddenly aware of how tired he was. Solomon and Arthur were both staring at him, but he ignored them and raised a hand to rub at the spot on his chest where Mahaado's spell had caught him. When his fingers met bare skin, he froze. Looking down, he discovered a gaping and charred hole in his t-shirt, and underneath his skin was bruised and scraped. "That jerk! This was my favorite shirt!"

Yami looked up from the corner, and his eyebrows shot up. He whistled softly. "Oh man, Bakura..."

"It looks worse then it is," Bakura waved his concern aside. "I'll survive. I'm more concerned with Ryou. Is he gonna be okay, Fate-sama?"

Fate shook her head, biting her lip. "I-I don't know," she sounded scared, like a child whose puppy's been hit by a car. Or a mother whose son's been hit by a crazy mage. "I don't know,"

"He will be," Everyone turned to face Mana, who looked tired, but not so sad anymore. "He just needs to rest."

"What did Mahaado _do_ to him?" Yami asked as Fate got Ryou settled down on one of the cots.

Mana looked down at her feet. "There's something I didn't mention about mage poisoning before, because I honestly didn't think Ryou would ever come into contact with Mahaado again. Once someone has been poisoned, even after they fully recover, if the person who poisons them just so much as touches them, it'll cause them unbearable pain, and sometimes throw them into a remission." Fate gasped, and Mana held up a hand to forestall them. "It's okay, Ryou didn't go into a full remission. He just needs a couple hours to sleep off all the pain that Mahaado put him through. He'll be just fine."

Fate breathed a sigh of relief and stepped around Yami to give Mana a hug. "Thank you, my friend. You've put my heart at ease."

Mana nodded, smiling against Fate's shoulder. "Good-bye," she said softly. Fate's hug tightened slightly, and then the goddess released her and stepped away. Their gazes met and locked for a moment, and then Fate nodded slowly. Nothing more was said. There was nothing else to say.

"Bakura, Atemu, will you come with me?" Mana asked, heading toward the door to the tent. The two ex-spirits exchanged glances and shrugged, and Yami followed her out the door. Bakura hesitated and glanced back at Ryou, but Fate nodded to him, and he ducked outside. Yami and Mana were standing a ways off, near the door to the tomb, and Bakura joined them.

_What can you see on the horizon?   
Why do those white gulls call?_

"I thank you both for what you've done," Mana bowed deeply to the two, who blushed and franticly motioned for her to stand up. She did, but only reluctantly. Her eyes were shadowed and sad, and her staff was held loosely in one hand. "Now that Mahaado has passed on, he's regained his sanity. He's calling for me to join him, I can feel it. This will be the last time you ever see me." She smiled slightly, as if amused by something Yami and Bakura didn't know. "Or the last time I ever see you, at any rate."

Yami looked distressed. "Mana, you can't mean that! Not now that I've just found you again!"

"I truly wish we had the chance to talk, to catch up on old times, Atemu, but that cannot be. I'll miss you, pharaoh. Perhaps we'll see each other again, in the afterlife. Perhaps."

Yami had tears in his eyes as Mana started to turn her back on them, and he lunged forward to place a hand on her shoulder. His movements were jerky, his limbs felt like lead. What was happening to him? "Manasah, you can't-"

Mana stopped, her head lowered slightly. Slowly she reached up to cover Yami's hand with hers, and then she gently took his hand off her shoulder. "Don't make this any harder for me then it already is, Amennosis."

Her back still half-turned to them, Mana began to softly chant in Egyptian, words too low for Yami or Bakura to hear. A comforting blanket dropped around Yami's senses, dulling them and covering him in a warm fog. He realized with a start that Mana was placing some kind of spell over them. He tried to form words, but his mouth was muzzy, as if filled with cotton. His arms and legs felt like they were weighted down with iron.

"Mana..." Bakura struggled to speak, already being buried under the web of magic that Mana wove around him and Yami. "What are you..."

Never answering, and never pausing in her chanting, Mana reached a hand up over her head. Something seemed to glimmer, and for a moment it looked to Yami and Bakura, in their magic-fogged eyes, like all the stars in the heavens were falling and gathering in Mana's outstretched hand.

Turning on one foot, Mana tossed the 'stars' over the two of them, where they sparkled and shimmered against their hair and clothes. The spell was complete now, and Mana lowered her staff, letting her chanting fade away into the moonlight.

For a moment she just stood, looking at the two men before her. The very last of her race...

She could see the awareness in their eyes fading as her spell took hold and they were whisked into the vision she'd woven for them. It would be sad, and it would break their hearts, she knew, but it would also bring them a peace.

Moving forward a step, Mana stood on tiptoes and kissed Bakura's forehead. "Farewell Bekhura ben Kadin, liberator of my lover's soul. May you always live in happiness in this time in the mortal plane that the gods have granted you." She smiled as something sparked between her eyes and his, and she spoke softly to him, words that his mind would never remember, but his heart would hear. "There will be a son first, strong as his father, graceful as his mother. He will be a rock, a strong tree on which to anchor the ben Kadin legacy, and I know you will be proud of him. All your children will be blessed, Bekhura, and your line will go on forever and ever into the dwindling sunset. Farewell, Bekhura, farewell for now."

Bowing deeply to him, she stepped away from Bakura and turned to face Yami. The joy that her fleeting glimpse of Bakura's children had brought her faded slightly. Yami was just slightly shorter then her, and she had to bend at the waist a little to rest a kiss on his forehead. Once she had, she knelt, staring up at the unseeing face of her pharaoh.

"Farewell, Amennosis Atemu Horus-Osiris, Living Pharaoh who died ages ago. May you always have peace and happiness in this life. Brother of my soul, best friend of my ka, lord of my land, pharaoh of my heart. I love you in a way I could never love Mahaado, in a way I could never love any but my lord. Pharaohs were gods on earth, though maybe not in the same way Fate and Ryou are, and you still hold power. Your life will be great, my friend, very, very great." Slowly she bowed her head, and two crystal teardrops fell onto the sand by her knees. "Fare thee well, my lord. Go you safe, and keep you safe, and, in time, come safe home to me."

[Cue music: _All I Ever Wanted_ - Amick Byram]

When the fog was lifted from their eyes, Yami and Bakura found themselves in a very different place from the one they'd left. Everything seemed to shimmer, as if it was being seen through a haze of heat. After a moment that too faded, leaving the two ex-spirits staring in wonder at their surroundings. Mana was no where to be seen, and both Egyptians guessed (correctly) that this was some kind of illusion she had cast for them.

"This is..." Yami trailed off, his eyes wide in wonder.

"Your palace." Bakura whispered, leaning against a nearby pillar to stay upright. The pillar supported his weight, he didn't phase through it like he'd half-expected he would. He stared at it, almost disbelieving, and ran a hand over the carved and painted figures that marched across the stone. Egyptian guards, carrying spears, some of them with bows, marched in rows three deep. In the midst of them walked another figure, ropes and chains connecting him to the guards making it obvious he was a prisoner. Half in wonder, half in horror, Bakura rested his hand gently over the white-haired carving.

The room was huge, easily the size of a very large school auditorium, with a ceiling that soared away into infinity, held up by eight massive carved and painted pillars, one of which Bakura was currently leaning on. At one end of the long room was an enormous set of double doors, carved of wood and leaved in gold. Paintings on the doors depicted the royal crowning of Pharaoh Atemu, with his royal parents, as well as the gods, standing attendance. At the other end of the long hall was a dais, raised two feet off the floor, with a set of wide, shallow steps at the front. A wide, arched doorway led back into the rest of the palace. All of it, walls, pillars, dais, and floor were made of fine white marble, swirled with light green and thin ribbons of black.

On the dais itself sat a chair. Not just any chair, but Atemu's throne. Made of wood, but sheathed in gold, the chair was similar to the one discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen in 1922. The arms and legs were carved to look like those of a lion. A royal blue cushion sat on the seat of the chair. The back was painted and carved in a scene straight out of Yami's reign, Pharaoh Atemu lounging next to a lotus pond, his queen laying comfortably beside him while his daughter danced attendance on them both. Cushions and fine ostrich feather fans were scattered around the throne, as if everyone had suddenly jumped up and run away as Yami and Bakura appeared.

Yami shut his eyes tightly against the scene, pressing his palms against his temples. Desperately he tried to stop the tears leaking down his cheeks. Unbidden, his mind and heart filled in the missing pieces. Himself, sitting proudly in the throne, his hair flattened and tied down at the nape of his neck, and the double-crown of Egypt resting on his head. The Crook and Flail of peace and justice, resting across his knees. One hand draped around Teana's shoulders while she sat on a cushion by his feet, her arms folded over one of his knees, leaning against him. His other hand resting on Shahi's head as she sat on a cushion on his other side, playing with one of the palace cats or perhaps carrying on an excited and rather one-sided conversation with one of the fan girls, who would have stood just behind them. Priests and guards would have lined both sides of the room. Often, if there were no disputes to settle and nothing to do, Jono would lean his spear against the wall, drop his serious captain-of-the-guard face, and sit down on the steps at the feet of his pharaoh. He and Shahi would play games together, or play-wrestle in front of the throne until Pharaoh laughed out loud. Sometimes, Seto would drop the priestly facade and sit down as well, and simply talk with his pharaoh as friends, not as lord and servant.

That's how it had been, that day. The day that changed everything and affirmed many destinies. Yami put a hand over his eyes, trying to block out the remembrances. None of the Elementals had attended court that day. Hatred and Time were hunting waterfowl. Fate had been instructing some of the young priestesses. The others, he didn't know where they had been, just that they hadn't been there.

With a quiet sob, Yami took off running, leaving Bakura behind as he hopped the shallow steps up to the dais and disappeared into the doorway that led to the palace's interior. Bakura watched him go with an understanding eye, and then took a long, sad look around the throne room himself.

Bakura's eyes came to rest on the throne, on the carved and painted figure of Princess Shahi, and he winced visibly. Almost in a trance, he went forward, until he was about halfway between the dais and the door. Slowly he got to his knees, spreading his palms across the floor where the marble was stained slightly red...

Abruptly he got to his feet again, and shook his head sharply to clear it. Walking forward again with what seemed to be an even stride, Bakura came to the foot of the stairs. He paused only a moment, and then climbed the five shallow steps until his feet came to rest in front of the throne. He stared at it for a long time. He was tempted to sit down, just for one moment, just to see how gold and plush felt, but he swallowed and pushed the desires away. He did reach out one trembling finger to just brush the painted black curls that covered the head of the little princess.

"Oh musume..."

Bakura smiled sadly, and one tear slid down his face to fall on the rich blue fabric of the cushion. It seemed to hang there for a moment before it sunk in, but Bakura had already turned away and stepped around the throne, heading for the archway that led deeper into the palace. Yami's running footsteps had long since faded away, but Bakura was not looking for his friend.

Almost as soon as he passed under the archway, Bakura peeled left and headed down a narrow, dark side-corridor. There were only two times he'd ever been in the palace, and only once had he ever gotten past the throne room. He knew this route by heart. It had been his death-march the last time he'd walked this path.

Bakura easily found the set of stairs, carved straight into the stone of the floor, heading down into darkness. A statue of Anubis guarded the entrance, and Bakura shivered slightly, his four-fingered hand twitching. He shook his head firmly and descended the stairs. He really wasn't sure _why_ he was coming down here, just that it was really the only place in or around Yami's palace he cared to see.

The stairs spit him out in a long hallway lit by sputtering, oily torches. Heavy wooden doors greeted him on either side, but Bakura ignored them all, instead making for the room he knew lay at the end of the hall.

Strange, the last time he'd been down here, the dungeons had been full of men, all of them moaning and groaning. But now the only sounds were those of his own footsteps. Maybe there were no people here? Perhaps this was only an illusion of the places of the past, not the people. Surely, he'd have encountered _some_ priests or guards by now. Perhaps he and Yami were the only things alive in this palace.

It was a chilling thought.

Bakura came to the end of the hallway at last. Unlike the rest of the cells in the dungeon, this one was special. Diabound had already been killed at this point, so there had been no need to fear him walking through walls. The only door this cell had was a metal grate, so people passing by could watch the torture of the thief that had plagued them so long.

Bakura sneered and pushed the grate open easily, stalking into the dungeon where he'd spent the last few days of his life. Directly across from the door were a pair of iron shackles attached to the wall, where he'd hung in agony for several days. Was it Bakura's imagination, or did the floor beneath look sticky with dried blood?

There, off to the left. The impromptu alter was still there, though it had a more permanent look to it, as if the High Priest had decided to keep it where it was. There were even still gold chains and a pair of silver shackles attached to one corner.

Bakura shut his eyes against the flashback, but it came anyway. Being hauled down from his place on the wall by rough hands he knew to be Mahaado's and Seto's; thrown to the floor, too beaten to move, and chained to the alter by the most ironic chains in the world; drifting in and out of consciousness as Atemu began the ritual; his one last moment of strength as he defied the pharaoh, even with his dying breath.

Bakura shuddered and waved a hand in front of his face, as if he could chase away the vision. He wasn't the same as he'd been back then. Neither was Yami. To his relief, the memories faded back into the shadows of his mind, and he opened his eyes again.

Scowling fiercely, he stepped forward and spat on the alter, which had a slightly sticky look to it, as if it had been coated in blood many times. Well that was new, anyway.

Bakura glanced around the dungeon again, growling. Shaking his head sharply, like some kind of feral dog, he stalked out of the cell and slammed the iron gate behind him. The sound of it echoed loudly down the silent halls, and abruptly all of Bakura's anger was gone in one shivering shudder.

One of the wooden doors leading to the common cells stood open. Bakura was _sure_ they'd all been shut when he came down. Warily, Bakura walked up to it and peeked inside.

Instead of the small, bare cell he'd expected, Bakura found himself staring down a long tunnel, which sloped slightly upward. At the end of it, a warm light glittered, a light that seemed somehow... familiar. Not really aware of why he was doing it, Bakura moved forward into the tunnel to follow the light that beckoned to him.

**_Gleaming in the moonlight   
Cool and clean and all I've ever known,   
All I've ever wanted._**

Yami slowed, and eventually came to a stop, dashing tears out of his eyes as he gazed around himself in wonder. He'd dreamed of this place for so, so long... So many futile dreams. He knew in his heart that this place had been destroyed long, long ago, and yet here it was.

Home...

He started walking down the halls of his palace, remembering. He stopped again, suddenly, staring at a bank of empty wine jars, big ones, lined up against the wall waiting to be cleaned by servants...

On the edge of his hearing, Yami could have sworn he heard laughter, childish giggles, coming from the jars. He smiled at the fond memory of the day he and Mana had met, hiding in these very jars from Simon and Mahaado, respectively. A friendship that had carried for five thousand years...

Shaking his head, Yami made his feet begin to move again. After several more turns down the labyrinth of hallways, he came to a wide, arching doorway hung with fine curtains. Taking a deep breath, he stepped through the sheered curtains of the entrance to his bedchambers, his fingers brushing against the cool, familiar marble of the arch.

Everything inside was exactly as he'd last seen it, five millennia before. Intellectually he _knew_ that the priests must have cleaned out his chambers after his death, but it all looked as if it had never been touched. There was his sleeping couch, the four posts carved to resemble the Horus hawk, protector of Pharaoh. The arched doorway that led to his private balcony. The pillars that supported his ceiling, both them and the walls painted with scenes of vibrant life. Painted, in fact, by Yami himself and his queen, Teana. His sword still hanging on its rack on the wall, never having been bloodied once. In the corner, the pile of cushions and blankets where his two great hunting hounds had slept. The room almost felt empty without them there now.

And there, on his cosmetics table, on the wooden stand made especially to hold it, sat the double crown of Egypt. Yami stopped, and for a long time he just stared at it. This... This, sitting here in front of him, was a symbol of all he stood for, all he had been, all he once was, all he never could be. Stepping forward almost timidly, Yami reached forward, his fingers almost yearning to touch the crown. He picked it up, and to his surprise found his hands were shaking. He stared at it, but didn't put it on, as he surely wanted to. For years, this crown had been the center of his universe.

But that had all changed. Now it was ancient history, and himself only a footnote in the books. Now there was Yugi, the kind-hearted boy he loved as both brother and son. Now, there was a friendship with a tomb robber and a priest. Now, there was so much more to life than just a kingship.

With a sob, Yami let the crown slip from his fingers. He spun and fled, and he was out of the room before it had even hit the ground.

**_Sweet perfumes of incense,  
Graceful rooms of alabaster stone,  
All I ever wanted!  
This was my home..._**

When Bakura immerged from the tunnel, he was started to find himself in broad daylight. In fact, it nearly blinded him, and he threw up his arms to shield his eyes. Hadn't it been night when Mana had cast her spell? Ah well, it didn't really matter. Now his eyes were beginning to get used to the glare, and he dropped his arms. He gasped as he finally saw where the tunnel had dumped him out.

"It can't be!" Bakura's legs went weak under him, and he dropped to his hands and knees in the sand, staring at the village before him. "It's impossible!"

It was like it had been taken straight from his eight-year-old memories, resurrected from dust, raised from the sands of time. The village he'd watch be destroyed, the one he'd sworn to avenge, the one he'd been sure would never truly live again, except in the memories of a pair of twin boys. The place of his birth.

Kuru Eruna.

Everything was exactly as he remembered it. Pushing himself up from the ground, ignoring the sand and the grit that clung to his palms, Bakura took off running. The village was still some distance away, and he fell into an easy rhythm as he pounded across the sand, his breath coming in gasps. Sweat and tears alike rolled down his cheeks as he ran through the outskirts of the village. His mind had completely shut down now, his feet were guided completely by his heart.

He finally had to slow down and stop, gasping, at the town's center. He leaned against the waist-high wall around the well, his shoulders heaving. Drops of moisture, sweat or tears, slid off his chin and splashed quietly far below. Bakura blinked in surprise. Water in the well? He'd _seen_ the soldiers push the wall in, poison the water with dirt and death. And yet, here it was, and Bakura was sure that if he were to dip out some water, it would be as cool and clear as he remembered.

Something nearby crashed, and Bakura jumped in surprise. He whirled around, just in time to see a cat jump out of an alley, yowling. Bakura blinked.

"Kettle?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. The cat bounded over and began to rub around his ankles, purring loudly. Bakura gaped at her. Kettle had been Jonathon's cat. If this was just an illusion of places, what was she doing here?

Bakura's eyes watered, and he took off across the sands again, leaving the cat behind. If Kettle was here, then maybe... Maybe...

His feet flew, his heart pounding as he ran by memory. The streets were all just the same, just as he remembered. He turned one last corner, and his vision began to blur. There, the house on the end... Same stupid striped cloth doorway, tattered edges swaying in the breeze. A battered oil lamp sitting unlit in one of the windows, waiting to chase away the shadows at night. A water jug sitting just outside the door, a design of swirls etched into the top, just under the rim. Inside, he knew, there would be a coarse woven rug on the floor, an oven for baking bread, a rickety wooden table and a single chair, and a straw palette back in one corner, big enough for two adults and two small children, and sometimes a cat...

Bakura burst through the meager door, his heart in his throat. If only... "Ammâh! Ammâh!!" His voice broke as he called for his mother, but the familiar house was empty.

_"Ammâhhh!!"_

**_With my father, mother, brother,  
Oh so noble, oh so strong!  
Now I am home..._**

Yami finally slowed to a stop, unsure of where his flying feet had taken him. He'd fled his own rooms in grief, and simply run where his heart told him without really looking to see just where he was going. Now he didn't know where he was, save that he was still somewhere in the palace.

He smelled the answer first, drifting to him on a breeze barely strong enough to ruffle his hair. His eyes widened as he recognized the scent, and recognized why he didn't recognize these halls. This was the harem, the ladies' quarters, a place he'd been to only a few times in his life. The smell was a perfume, one that was very familiar to him. Familiar, and heartbreaking.

_'Teana...'_

He stumbled forward, his feet carrying him to the room where the scent originated. He stepped inside and then stopped, a flood of bittersweet memories and tears halting him in his tracks.

A gentle wind blew in from the balcony, ruffling the curtains draped around the bed. Dolls and stuffed toys sat on shelves that were barely waist-height to Yami, in perfect reach of a child. The walls were painted in bright, colorful circus scenes, tumblers and jugglers and dancers spilling across the room. A single, strong column stood in the middle of the room, supporting the ceiling. The pillar had been taken advantage of, and a long, padded bench was built all the way around it. And painted on the pillar...

Yami felt his eyes fill with tears. Far from the normal Egyptian style, the painting on the pillar was nearly life-like. There he stood, Pharaoh Atemu, but gone was his crown, his natural starburst of hair gracing his head instead. His beloved daughter Shahi sat oh his shoulders, laughing and pointing to a colorful bird just out of her reach. Teana stood beside them, with one hand on Shahi's back to steady her, the other laid gently on Yami's arm. All three were laughing, smiling, happy...

This was Shahi's nursery, just as it had always been. An arch in one wall led to Teana's room. Instead of simply handing Shahi over to a nursemaid after she'd been adopted, Teana had insisted that she care for the infant girl herself. It had turned out to be her only chance, for she and Yami had never had any children of their own, despite all the doctors efforts to get Teana to conceive. At last, reluctantly, Teana had suggested that Yami go to some of his other women, in hopes that they could produce him the heir she could not. But when a year passed and none of the others Yami lay with became pregnant, it was startlingly clear that Yami was the flawed one. But then Shahi had arrived on the palace steps, a gift from the gods, and it hadn't mattered that she was a girl, because she was an _heir_...

"Oh my daughter..." Yami moaned, his heart threatening to crack under the pressure. He and Teana had been together for eleven years, Shahi with them for five when Yami had died. He missed them terribly, more then he'd ever admit even to Yugi, and seeing Tea day in and day out and in love with Yugi just made it that much worse. "My queen..."

Walking across the room as if in a daze, Yami entered Teana's room, half expecting to see his queen and his daughter lounging on her bed, laughing and singing as they were accustomed to doing. Yami entered the room with his eyes half closed, hoping...

But no. This room was as empty as the last, and Yami felt his heart tear in longing. "Oh my angel..."

Throwing himself face-down on Teana's bed, Yami wept.

**_Here among my trappings and belongings I belong,  
And if anybody doubts it,  
They couldn't be more wrong!  
I am a sovereign Prince of Egypt,  
A son of the proud history that's shown  
Etched on every wall!_**

Bakura let out a sound that, had Ryou or Amoura been near, would have broken their hearts. It was something halfway between the cry of a kitten and a falcon's scream, something filled with rage and grief and heartache. Dropping to his knees in the center of the one-room house and pounding his clenched fists against the sand floor, Bakura let his sobs and wails bow his head and shoulders.

"Why?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, tears rolling down his face to land on the dusty ground. "Why are you showing me home, making me remember, and yet not showing me those I love most of all?! Am I really so despised by the gods?! Jehovah, Ra, Osiris, _please_! Ammâh! Ammâhhh!!" [8]

Collapsing onto the straw pallet in the corner, where he and Jona and Ammâh and Abba had all slept cuddled like cats for so many years, Bakura wrapped his arms around himself and wept.

**_Surely this is all I ever wanted..._**

Ryou yawned, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand. Where was he? Last he remembered...

His eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright, his senses on full alert as he looked around for Mahaado in sheer terror. After a moment, when he realized that Mahaado was no where near him and he was back in his tent, he calmed down enough to pry his fingers from where they were gripping the edge of the cot. He could sense all the others in the largest tent, talking. Fate had checked in on him just before he'd woken up. Except...

Ryou blinked, wondering why Mana and Yami and Bakura were out in the middle of the desert near the door to the tomb. And... something wasn't quite right about Yami and Bakura...

Frowning, Ryou swung his legs over the edge of the cot and stood up, swaying slightly as he was hit with a sudden, but thankfully brief, dizzy spell. Making his way out of the tent, he walked toward where he could sense the trio of ancients. As he drew closer, his confusion only grew. Mana seemed all right, she was simply watching the other two, so whatever was wrong with them couldn't be particularly harmful. Otherwise Mana would be doing something about it. But what _was_ wrong? Yami and Bakura seemed frozen in place, their shoulders shaking and their eyes filled with tears. When Ryou reached out tentatively to touch them telepathically, he couldn't quite reach them. It was like the lights were on, but no one was home.

"Ryou..."

Ryou turned to face Mana, unaware he'd stepped up beside her. His face was puzzled as he gestured at Yami and Bakura. "What's happened to them? Did Mahaado do something to them?!"

Mana shook her head, slightly bemused. "No, no, nothing like that. Mahaado is, is gone, and this is my thanks to them for helping me. I cast an illusion, so that in their own minds they can see their past. But it is only that, an illusion, and they see only the places, never the people long-dead, and that hurts them. But at the same time, just by making them remember and cry, I am giving them the best gift I can."

Ryou nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."

Mana smiled. "I thought you would."

The two stood in silence for several minutes. Then Mana put a gentle hand on Ryou's shoulder. "Child of Fate..."

Startled by the formality in her voice, Ryou turned to face her again. "Yes, magess?"

"Mahaado has moved on," she said quietly, looking down at her feet. "He has died a second time, and gone on to the afterlife. He's at peace now, in his right mind, just as he used to be. He's waiting for me in Roshai, and I want to join him."

Ryou's eyes widened as what she was asking dawned on him. He'd been in a lot of pain and only semi-conscious during Bakura's fight with Mahaado earlier that night, but he knew what Mana wanted from him. "Lady, I could never -"

"Please," She pressed her staff into his hands, and it occurred to him that she was probably crying. Silently, he cursed his lack of sight. Sighing deeply and shaking the hair out of his eyes, he took the staff from her. He stepped forward and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her against him. She hugged him in return, and then they stepped apart. Ryou took the staff in both hands and raised it over his head, trying to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat. He paused.

"Mana... Thank you, for all you've done for us, for me. Without you, I probably wouldn't be here right now -"

Mana placed a gentle hand over his lips to shush him, her face kind. "Fare thee well, Ryou Bakura. May your heart guide you always, and your ka stay strong."

Ryou smiled a little sadly at the old Egyptian blessing. "Fate bless you, Mana."

"She already has."

Bringing the staff swinging down over his head in a wide arc, Ryou smashed the end of it against the rocky ground. The knob on the end cracked and shattered, and with one land feather-light touch across the back of Ryou's hand, Mana faded away.

_Across the sea a pale moon rises --   
The ships have come to carry you home._

Bakura lifted his head what could have been hours later, blinking as the beautiful familiar scenery began to turn to mist and melt away. "No!" he cried, scrambling to his feet. "No, let me stay! Please!"

"Thomas, you don't belong here, you never did."

Spinning around, Bakura's eyes widened. A trio of figures stood in the mist, just out of his reach. A tall man, with dark hair and weather-beaten skin, dressed in a tattered robe that had once been white. In his arms, he held a little girl about three or four years old, with lighter hair and paler skin. The girl peeked at Bakura from around her hands, and Bakura could have sworn he heard her giggling. But those two were blurry, as if they were only barely there. The woman who stood in front of them, however...

Long, white hair was bound back into a loose braid, from which some strands were escaping to hang in her face. She wore a long dress with a torn hem, with a light shawl draped over her head. Her hands, though callused, seemed to Bakura to be the softest things he remembered about his old life. And her eyes... brown eyes... his eyes, Ryou's eyes. They were filled with love and longing, and she looked at Bakura with a wisdom that made him feel sure she knew everything he'd ever done.

He bowed his head, hiding his face in sudden shame. If she knew what a bastard he'd been... How he'd turned away from the gods... How he'd killed... How he'd hurt Ryou... She'd never love him again.

"Look at me, my son."

The soft voice made him lift his head, meeting his mother's eyes. He bit his lip when he realized she was crying, though it was only a moment before he realized he was too. "Ammâh... If you knew..."

"I do know," she said, smiling gently. "But what's important is you are no longer like that. You are still my son, and I still love you."

Bakura felt another rush of tears. "Mama..."

She stepped forward, and for just a moment, as Mana passed through the veil between life and death, Bakura's mother was able to step out of the mists of time and pull her stunned son into her arms. "Never forget, Thomas ben Kadin, that we love you." Her tears were soaking into his hair, burning his neck as he clung to her, never wanting to let go. "I'm so proud of you, my son."

And then she was gone, banished back into the mists. Bakura snatched for her, a scream of rage tearing itself from his throat as his mother was taken from him again. But it was too late, and Kuru Eruna was gone too, and Bakura was falling... Falling like his tears...

**_All I ever wanted..._**

Yami moaned as the vision began to fade, wishing it would last just a little bit longer... Just a bit, so he could have more time to mourn...

He sat up on the edge of the bed, wiping tears from his eyes as things began to mist and fade. Something flashed out of the corner of his eye, and his head snapped around. For just a moment, he thought he saw a lithe child's body disappear around a corner, and he thought he heard her giggling...

Sitting on the table near the corner where she'd been was a small, handheld bronze mirror that hadn't been there when Yami came in. He recognized it instantly. He'd given it to Teana to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.

Getting up from the bed, Yami walked over and picked up the mirror, running his fingers over the carved form of the goddess Bastet on the handle. He hugged it to his chest with a deep, sad sigh as the palace faded away.

**_All I ever... wanted..._**

[End music - All I Ever Wanted]

It was only a minute or so after Mana faded away that Yami and Bakura began to come out of the trance. Both of them were holding something, Ryou was surprised to realize. He couldn't tell what, though. They must be mostly metal, or something. "Are you guys okay?" he asked quietly, putting a hand on Bakura's shoulder.

Bakura shuddered a little, flicking the last of the tears out of his eyes. It made him feel a little bit better to see that Yami had been crying too. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said after a deep breath. "How 'bout you, Yami?"

"I'm fine," the pharaoh said, a bit distantly as he stared down at the polished bronze hand mirror in his hands. "How in the world did I bring this out of the illusion with me?"

Bakura blinked and moved his other hand from where it had been clutched against his chest. Slowly he opened it to reveal a delicate beaded necklace resting in the palm of his hand. It didn't look particularly expensive, just blue and green glass beads strung together with a baked clay medallion. "I must have grabbed it when I was trying to reach..." he trailed off and swallowed, remembering the necklace as the one his mother had worn every day of her life. He'd never seen her without it. Carved on the medallion was what just seemed to be a decorative design, but Bakura recognized it as Hebrew writing, even though he didn't remember enough to translate it.

"Reach who?" Yami asked, his voice unexpectedly soft. The pharaoh's eyes were sad. He knew exactly what Bakura was feeling.

"Ammâh." Bakura said softly. "Mother. I saw her, Yami. She said... she said she was proud of me, in spite of everything I've done..." He sobbed softly, squeezing his eyes closed. At this point he didn't really care whether Yami saw him cry or not. _'Oh mother...'_

A moment later he felt Ryou's arms wrap around him, hugging him from behind, the telepath's face pressed into Bakura's back. Bakura's eyes snapped open in surprise, though, when he felt Yami's arms around him too. The pharaoh's eyes were misty too as he hugged his friend. "What mother wouldn't be proud of a son like you?"

"Yami..."

Yami shook his head slightly, forestalling any further words. For a minute the trio just stood there bathed in moonlight, and then they pulled apart, although Bakura kept one arm around Ryou's shoulders. After a brief glance around, Yami sighed sadly. "Mana is...?"

Ryou nodded. "Yes, she asked me to." He held out the broken staff respectfully, and Yami took it with another sigh.

"Yami, what was it she called you?" Bakura asked. "Amennosis?"

A small smile quirked the corner of Yami's mouth. "My birth name. Atemu was my throne name. Mana and I met a long time before I became pharaoh."

In the silence that followed, Ryou yawned loudly. The other two chuckled. "Maybe it's time for bed," Bakura suggested, and the trio started back toward the tents.

_Dawn will turn   
To silver glass _

"Mana..."

It didn't hurt. Bless Anubis, it didn't hurt. She watched as everything around her faded away into gray mist. She could see Ryou for a moment longer, kneeling in the sand and carefully picking up some of the shards of her staff, but then he, too, turned pale and faded.

"Mana..."

For a moment she heard nothing, and then all at once a loud roaring filled her ears. She blinked as the fog in her eyes began to clear. She found herself staring up at a great city in the midst of an endless, gray-green plane. Thundering water rushed by her on all sides, and she realized she was standing on a dock of some kind just outside the last few sprawling buildings. This city had no walls, and the architecture was decidedly muddled. It was like every great culture that ever was had decided to come together and build a city. Above it all rose a towering palace of white marble.

"Mana..."

She turned so quickly that she nearly lost her balance and fell into the water. Behind her, tethered to the end of the dock, was a ship. It was wooden, styled like an Egyptian vessel, though more docks with every kind of ship imaginable stretched out as far as the eye could see on either side. The mast was a great, heavy trunk of gray wood, the trunk of one of the last mallorn trees. The sail was white, painted with the golden sun disk of Ra and the sacred scarab, guardian of the horizon. Strange for a ship that size, there was only one helmsman. She stood ready at the tillar, light blue hair blowing softly around her in the breeze.

"Mana..."

All this Mana took in an instant, before her eyes were drawn to the familiar figure standing by the side of the ship. Her eyes feasted on him, drunk in the familiar proud stance and easy smile, both of which had been so painfully absent these last thousands of years. Dressed in his priest's robes but missing his headdress, Mahaado grinned at her, his brown hair blowing into his face. Mana felt her eyes fill with tears of joy. _This_ was her lover, not the shell of a man who had tried to kill his own pharaoh a few scant hours before.

"Mana... Let's go home."

She took the hand he offered her, and suddenly she was in his arms. They were together again, and always would be.

Before she lost herself too much in him, Mana turned back toward Roshai and lifted a hand to cast one last spell. "I grant them a look at the past, as it truly was."

To her surprise, Mahaado stepped up beside her and lifted a hand as well. "I grant them a dream, so they may know and forgive."

"Grant them peace." Mahaado and Mana whispered in unison as the oarswoman cast them away from the docks. Then with a sigh of contentment they sought each other's arms.

"I'm so sorry," Mahaado whispered into her hair, hugging her tightly against him with strong arms. "So sorry for all the pain I've caused you, my love. I hope Pharaoh can find it in his heart to forgive me..."

Mana couldn't help but smile against his chest. "You'll have the opportunity to ask him yourself in a few short decades. Both he and the tomb robber are mortals now."

Mahaado pulled back to stare at her in surprise. "Gods above! It seems I have a lot of catching up to do."

Mana smiled and snuggled against him again. "We have all the time in the worlds."

For a long time they were silent as the oarswoman guided the skiff north and Roshai faded into the distance. "What's it like, Mahaado?" Mana asked after awhile. "Finally being granted death after so many years of half-life?"

Mahaado smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Like waking from a very, very long dream."

_A light on the water,   
All souls pass. _

Ryou muttered something, snuggling deeper into his pillow as he drifted into dreams. A moment later he blinked, finding himself standing in a courtyard of some kind. It was _obviously_ a dream, as he could see. It only took him a moment to notice several things. First, he was standing at the foot of a broad stairway that apparently led to a pharaoh's palace, as that's what was looming over him. Second, behind him was an ancient city, bustling with life, and beyond that, the desert. Third, Yami and Bakura (he knew it was Yami and Bakura from his own time because they were wearing modern clothes) were standing just ahead of him, staring up at the palace in wonder. Quickly, Ryou went up to them. "So when are we?"

"My reign, I'd say..." Yami said distantly.

Bakura blinked. "You're having this dream too, Ryou?"

The telepath shrugged. "Apparently."

All three of them became aware of a commotion behind them, and they turned. Yami's eyes widened, and Bakura cursed. "Oh shit! Don't tell me we're watching the day I think we're watching!"

"I think we are..." Yami said, biting his lip.

Over the top of the small hill that separated the palace from the rest of the city, a cluster of people came. Most of them wore the uniform of a palace guard, save for two. The guards scattered at a flash of light from one of the two, and they came closer. It soon became obvious who the disgruntled invaders were. One wore a long red overcoat, scars across one tanned cheek standing out against white hair, the Millennium Ring glowing brightly against his bare chest. The other one, a woman, wore a tattered skirt and tank top, her long pale hair windblown and tangled. Both were barefoot.

"Damn," Bakura muttered, watching his past self stalk past them. "Was I really that ugly?"

"Come on," Yami tugged on his arm, pointing to where Ryou was already following the duo. "My guess is that no one from this time will be able to see or hear us, so let's go!"

Bakura paused, something strange in the back of his eyes. "Yami, do we really want to? We already know how it ends..."

Yami bit his lip and looked away. "I know... Or, we know how _our_ sides end. Maybe we're supposed to watch each other."

Bakura scowled, looking for a moment like his old self. "Well I sure don't want to watch _my_ half again. Whatever the hell works." Together, the two sprinted for where Bekhura and Anjil were already disappearing into the palace, and Ryou was waiting for them at the top of the steps.

The three of them entered the palace together, running toward the throne room. Yami and Bakura knew that was where the drama would unfold. Sliding between the bodies of guards and priests, who were all clamoring to get to the scene of the trouble, the trio emerged into the room just behind Bekhura. Tugging Ryou and Yami with him, Bakura circled until they were standing halfway between Bekhura and Anjil and Atemu on his throne.

The pharaoh was, indeed, on his throne, a look of shock on his face as he half-stood up. High Priest Seto and Mahaado flanked him on one side, Captain of the Guard Jono and one of the lesser guards who looked a lot like Duke on the other. Teana, kneeling at his feet, shrieked and held out her arms to the toddler Shahi, who ran to her and hid her face in her 'mother's' dress. Seeing this, Anjil let out a small mewling sound, and Bekhura clenched his teeth in anger, his fingers twitching toward something tucked into his belt.

"Pharaoh!" Bekhura shouted in a voice that easily carried over all the noise in the room. "It's time for you to pay for all the pain and suffering you've caused!"

Too fast to see, Bekhura snatched the knife out of his belt and threw it. Teana screamed, and Seto shouted something, but it was too late. Bekhura's aim was true. Except...

Pharaoh Atemu let out a sound halfway between a startled gasp and a wail as he found himself pushed aside, out of the knife's path. Then he shouted in horror as he saw who it was that had taken his place. Jono slumped to the ground at Atemu's feet, gasping for breath as he raised one shaking hand toward the knife hilt that was imbedded in his chest. With a cry, Atemu dropped to his knees beside his captain and friend. "Jono, don't leave me!"

But the captain was too far gone to hear.

_Hope fades   
Into the world of night.   
Through shadows falling,   
Out of memory and time. _

Slowly, Seto knelt down and gently closed Jono's eyes, murmuring a quiet prayer as he rested a comforting hand on Atemu's shoulder. The pharaoh was shaking in rage, and before Seto could stop him, he wrapped his hands around the hilt of the sword that hung from Jono's belt. Yanking it out of its sheath, Atemu stood up, murder burning behind his eyes as he glared at Bekhura.

"Tomb robber, you've gone too damn far."

With a yowl that was more feline than human, Atemu raised the sword and ran, intending to impale the smirking Bekhura where he stood. The look on the tomb robber's face changed to one of sheer terror as he saw the pharaoh charging him with drawn sword. His terror only grew as a moment later Anjil darted in between him and Atemu, her arms spread and her expression defiant. "You will not touch him, pharaoh, without going through me first!"

Atemu skidded to a stop, eyes wide, but his arms were already in motion, and he couldn't stop them even if he wanted. Anjil screamed as the tip of the sword caught her left shoulder, tearing its way across her to her right hip. It was a shallow cut, since Atemu had managed to bring himself up short, but all the same...

She toppled backward, and Bekhura caught her, a look of horror on his face. "Meri!" He cradled her in his arms as he kneeled on the marble, her blood spilling across his hands to stain the stone. "Meri please, don't die on me!"

Mahaado was suddenly beside Atemu, growling a little and reaching for the sword Atemu carried. "Allow me to finish him off, m'lord pharaoh."

"No..." Atemu said, a strange look on his face. He'd never seen Bekhura look so vulnerable... "No, it is dishonorable to slay a man while he mourns his love. Allow him a moment, Mahaado."

Mana stepped forward and cast Bekhura a slightly sympathetic glance, tugging Mahaado away from the scene. Ryou shuddered a little as the mage passed out of sight, and bit his lip at the looks of shadowed sadness on Yami and Bakura's faces. "Guess this kinda explains why you two used to hate each other so much, huh?"

"You have no idea," Yami croaked, his eyes wide. Somehow, all the years had managed to dull the pain of this day, this hour, but now it was all coming back...

"Bek... hura..." Anjil pleaded for her lover's attention. "You must... escape... save yourself... please, my love..."

_Don't say,   
"We have come now to the end."   
White shores are calling_

"No!" Bekhura protested. "No, I won't leave you!"

"Go...!" Anjil pleaded, tears filling her eyes not entirely from the pain. "Please, love..." Slowly her eyes slid closed, and she fell limp. Bekhura hugged her against him, her blood staining the Ring and his robe an even deeper red. He sobbed quietly, and then gently laid her down on the marble, rising to his feet to look Atemu in the eye. The pharaoh tightened his grip on Jono's sword, his face grim. This was it...

"Pharaoh," Bekhura hissed, his fists clenched. "Catch me if you can!"

And then he turned and _ran_, the Millennium Ring clearing a blazing path before him. Yami only hesitated a moment, glancing back at Ryou and Bakura before running after the past tomb thief.

Ryou picked himself up from where he'd face-faulted at Bekhura's words. "You _ran_?!?"

Bakura shrugged self-consciously. "It was Anjil's last request, okay?"

"After him!" Atemu was shouting, all but hopping up and down in fury. "BRING HIM BACK!"

The guard who had stood with Jono on the dais, the one who looked like Duke, saluted smartly and left the room, followed by many of the other soldiers. Atemu shuddered and sighed, looking sadly at Anjil, and then turning toward Jono. "Someone get them to the House of Beautification," he said tiredly. "Yes, the wench too. Just do it." [9]

"My lord!" Atemu turned to see Teana kneeling next to Anjil, and balked slightly.

"Teana, get up, you'll get filthy!"

"My lord," Teana repeated firmly, cutting him off. A look of strong determination was in her eyes, the look that Atemu had first fallen in love with. It gave him pause, and he motioned for her to speak. "My lord, she lives! Please, allow me to care for her, we cannot just leave her to die."

"Nay," Atemu sighed. "We cannot. Not even a wench. Take her to the Lady Teana's rooms, and send for the healers! Quickly! Seto, Mahaado, Karimu, to me."

As the three priests hurried forward to join their lord, Ryou was forced to shake Bakura by the shoulder. "Oniisan, oniisan, are you okay? Say something!"

"Sh-she survived..." Bakura's eyes were wide, and filled with tears as he watched several men carry the wounded Anjil out of the room, Teana hovering worriedly over her. "She survived... Oh my love..."

Ryou smiled softly and put a hand on his arm, gently guiding him toward where Atemu was leaving the throne room, trailed by his three priests.

"...and the ritual should be ready to perform. But I want him broken first, you hear me? He has to pay for all he's done, for what he did to Jono." Atemu's fists were clenched in anger as he stalked forward, the priests and Ryou and Bakura having to hurry to keep up. "I don't care how you do it, just break him and keep him alive! I'll seal these Shadow Games if it's the last thing I do, and that bastard tomb robber's going to help me, whether he like it or not!"

Bakura shuddered, looking grim at some memory, and Ryou bit his lip worriedly. Poor Bakura... What had he gone through? The telepath had the uneasy feeling he was about to find out.

Meanwhile, Yami had followed Bekhura out of the palace, and the tomb robber was currently leading the pursuing guards on a merry little chase through the city, scaring peasants left and right. Little by little, though, the guards seemed to be gaining. Finally, they caught him, tackling the thief to the sand. He struggled and kicked, cursing and biting, but ten against one is no good in odds. The Duke-looking one kicked Bekhura sharply in the ribs, and Yami winced a bit as he heard something crack and Bekhura yelled, instinctively curling up in a ball. The guards kicked him several more times for good measure, making sure he'd stay still before they bound his wrists tightly and forced him to his feet, Duke pressing a spear against his back to get him moving.

"You picked the wrong captain to kill, bastard." Duke hissed, purposely pressing the point of the spear into Bekhura's back until it drew blood. "You're lucky pharaoh wants you back alive."

Bekhura just shuddered, his sides heaving as they began dragging him kicking and screaming back toward the palace, Yami trailing along behind, invincibly. Any time Bekhura would yank at his bonds or buck or try to run, one of the guards, usually Duke, would knock him to the ground or slash at him with a spear, getting him back on track. Yami noted rather wryly that Duke had some serious anger issues over Jono's death and made a mental note to ask the modern Duke Devlin not to go into any homicidal rages, for everyone's sakes.

"Thomas!!"

Yami was snapped out of his thoughts by a hoarse shout from somewhere off to the left. Turning, he saw a group of about five Hebrew slaves dragging a statue across the sand. One of them dropped his rope and darted toward the group of guards and their captive. He had white hair, but his eyes were brilliant green...

The last thing the guards were expecting was a hysterical slave to try and get at Bekhura, and they were so befuddled that Jonathon managed to push between them and drop to his knees beside Bekhura, who had fallen to his knees the moment the guards had let him stop. His ribs were beginning to bruise badly, and several spear wounds marred the skin of his back and sides. Hearing his brother's voice, Bekhura lifted his head, revealing tired eyes and a bleeding nose.

"Thomas, what have they done to you?" Jonathon whispered in horror, his eyes wide. He reached up to brush his brother's hair away from his face. "Oh Thomas..."

"Don't call me that," Bekhura growled, but his voice was gruffer then usual, and his eyes gave him away. "Jona, get away from me before these dumb guards decide you're a threat! Atemu wants me bad, and I... I think my career's over."

"Don't say that!" Jonathon insisted, his hands on his brother's shoulders, squeezing until Bekhura winced. "You'll get away, you always do!"

"Not this time..." Bekhura whispered. "They got Anjil... She's..." He shook his head sharply. "There's no reason to go on. Tell me, Jona, what will happen to me when I die?"

"Thomas..." Jonathon blinked back tears, having never seen his little brother like this before. He bit his lip. "Jehovah's angels will come and carry you to paradise." he repeated his mother's words dutifully, though she'd been dead a good thirteen years.

Bekhura laughed harshly, and then began coughing, hacking up blood from his broken ribs. "Is that what you believe? Fool. There is no Jehovah, no angels, nothing. After I'm dead, I'll be thrown to the crocodiles. If Atemu even waits for me to die." His eyes softened a little as he saw the look of horror on Jonathon's face. "It's been a good life, _ank_. I think maybe I'm ready to die. But what about you? When you die, who will mourn you? Who will even care?"

Jonathon swallowed hard, unused to his brother talking this way. "My sons..." he started, but Bekhura was snickering again.

"Sons, pah. You think any of you, you or your sons, will survive long enough to mourn for anyone else? My daughter knows nothing of me! My Anjil is _dead_! No one will _care_! Life _is_ death, Jona, especially under the rule of Atemu!" he spat the name like a curse, and one of the guards kicked him again. He doubled up, moaning, as Jonathon cried out in horror.

"A gift..." Bekhura wheezed, catching Jonathon's attention again. "A gift, my brother. Looking after you again. You'll get a proper afterlife, and maybe someday we'll meet again..."

"Th-the Shadow Realm..." Jonathon stuttered, his eyes wide. Then his face softened, and if looked like he might cry again. "Oh Bekhura." Leaning forward, Jonathon wrapped his arms around his little brother, hugging him gently as between them the Millennium Ring glowed brightly, and then Jonathon slumped to the ground as the guards shouted and hit at Bekhura to get him moving again.

"Farewell, brother..."

Yami watched the entire scene in morbid fascination. He'd never _dreamed_ how close Bekhura and Jonathon must have really been. Just watching that had been enough to tear at Yami's heartstrings. Something bothered him, though... He looked thoughtfully at Jona's soulless body, lying in the dust. "Sons of Jonathon, and a daughter of Bekhura, eh? Well well."

_You and I will meet again.   
And you'll be here in my arms,   
Just sleeping. _

Yami followed them back to the palace, and then met up with Ryou and Bakura in the throne room again as Bekhura was dragged toward the stairs that led down to the dungeon. To Yami's surprise, Bakura was shaking slightly as he stared after his past self.

"No way in hell am I going down there!" he hissed, eyes wide. "No way. Not again."

Ryou nodded, one hand laid soothingly on his bog brother's shoulder. "It's okay Bakura, we're not going to make you. It's fine." The telepath glanced at Yami. "What comes next?"

Yami frowned in thought. "I know for the next several days I was busy readying the magic's to seal away the Shadow Games, and Bekhura was down in the dungeons being tortured. We're not really going to have to hang around here for another three days, are we?"

As if his words had been a trigger, the scenery around them began to blur and fuzz, like a camera that was out of focus. A moment later it snapped back into sharp focus, and all three found themselves standing in the corner of a dungeon cell. Directly across from them was a stone alter, a pair of silver and gold shackles hanging from one corner. In the top was a slab of stone with carved slots for all the Millennium Items. All of them except the Puzzle and the Rod had already been fitted into place, including the Ring. Bekhura was shackled to the wall behind the alter, hanging limply by his wrists and groaning every now and then. He had been tortured indeed. The flesh on his arms and legs was torn and bleeding. An intricate pattern of burns and welts covered his chest. The way blood was dripping down the wall and forming a pool by his feet, his back had to be in tatters. His face was torn, the old scars across one cheek forcibly reopened, his nose twisted, one eye slashed and scoured shut. Ryou shuddered and had to look away, sure that the sight would be giving him nightmares. Bakura just shuddered and shook his head, rubbing one hand over his face as if to make sure it was indeed still whole.

The door to the cell opened, and Bekhura shifted slightly, perhaps afraid of more torture. Atemu strode in dressed in full royal robes, a determined look on his face. Seto, Mahaado, Mana, and Karimu followed him in, Karimu shutting the door behind them. Atemu gestured to his priests, and Seto and Mahaado moves forward. Seto unlocked the fetters holding Bekhura to the wall, and Mahaado grabbed the thief, throwing him down roughly next to the alter. Kneeling swiftly, Seto forced the tomb robber's wrists into the shackles attached to the alter, although it didn't look like Bekhura would be going anywhere very soon.

Again Atemu gestured, and Seto sighed, pulling the Millennium Rod out of his robes. Carefully he fitted it into its place on the alter, and then stepped back. Atemu looked everything over and then nodded, apparently satisfied. He pulled the Puzzle off over his head, and made to place it on the alter, but Seto put a hand on his arm.

"My lord," Kaiba's ancestor said, a strange, regretful look on his face. "Are you sure?"

"This is the only way." Atemu said firmly, and then his eyes softened a little. "Take care of Shahi, Seto. You're the only one I can trust."

Seto nodded and stepped back, swallowing with difficulty as he watched his pharaoh place the Puzzle on the center of the alter. The whole thing began to glow, and Atemu began to chant. After a brief moment, the priests took up the chant as well. The glow spread down the shackles and over Bekhura's hands, creeping up his arms. The tomb robber screamed, trying to pull away from the alter. "Damn you Atemu!!"

Atemu didn't even pause in the chanting, and slowly he reached out to rest one hand on the Puzzle. The glow began to spread across him as well, and he gritted his teeth against the pain. The priests were chanting louder now, and faster, as Bekhura writhed next to the alter, trying to escape. For his own part, Atemu stood calmly, knowing that this was what had to be done.

_What can you see on the horizon?   
Why do those white gulls call?   
Across the sea   
A pale moon rises --   
The ships have come to carry you home._

After what seemed to be an eternity, the glow began to fade away. Bekhura screamed one last time as the last of his life force was ripped way from him, and then he fell limp at the foot of the alter, breathing shallow, his eyes wide and unseeing.

Atemu's eyes drifted closed and he wavered on his feet. Seto was beside him before he could fall, catching his pharaoh and looking down at him sorrowfully. After a long moment he looked up and addressed his fellow priests. "Prepare a place for pharaoh to rest until his body runs itself out. Without his soul, it will die in a matter of weeks. Inform Lady Teana of his noble sacrifice," his voice caught, but he forced himself to go on. "And begin funeral preparations for our pharaoh."

"What about the thief?" Mahaado asked, contempt obvious in his voice.

"I will deal with him." Seto said solemnly, handing Atemu over to Karimu, who bowed and then left. Drawing his belt knife, Seto swiftly kneeled down beside Bekhura and deftly slit his throat, scowling the whole time. As Bekhura's breathing slowed and his eyes dimmed farther, Seto got to his feet, wiping off his knife and grumbling. "Soulless tomb robbers laying around only cause problems. I shall deal with the body as well, hands off Mahaado. Mana, take the Items to their appropriate places. They are no more use to us."

The priestess nodded and gathered the Millennium Items, taking her leave a minute later. "Yes, lord."

"Leave him be, Mahaado," Seto said, seeing the way Mahaado was eyeing Bekhura's body. "He will be given his due, and I will make sure he never bothers us again."

Mahaado scowled, but bowed stiffly to the high priest. "As you wish." He turned to go, but Seto called him name, and he paused at the door. "Yes, Lord Sethos?"

Seto looked thoughtful. "Go see if the foreign girl is still in my father's prison. If so, release her and have her brought to me."

Mahaado cocked an eyebrow. "By whose order, Seto? Your father will not listen to me or you."

Seto straightened up to his full height, one hand resting on the alter. In that moment, Yami saw how noble he really was.

"By order of Pharaoh."

Surprise warred with shock on Mahaado's face for a moment, and finally he just bowed. "Yes, pharaoh."

_And all will turn   
To silver glass _

Mahaado left, and Seto turned away from the door, scowling down at Bekhura's body. Things began to blur and fade again, and a moment later Ryou blinked his eyes, sighing when he realized he was awake again, back in his world of darkness. Sitting up on his cot, he sensed that Yami and Bakura were both waking up as well, though no one else in the camp was stirring. "Bakura?" he asked softly.

Across the tent, Bakura sat up on his own cot, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. "Hai Ryou? Did you have that strange dream too?"

Ryou nodded, just at the flap of their tent opened and Yami slid inside. "I guess we all did."

Before Bakura could say anything more, Yami had crossed the tent and grabbed Bakura roughly by the collar, jerking him upward so they were nose-to-nose. "Shahi was _your_ daughter!" he accused, eyes narrow. "I should have expected, as light as her hair was, but I just assumed she was the daughter of a foreign prostitute. You knew and never told me, tomb robber! You knew!"

Bakura met his gaze unflinchingly, even a little scornfully, his eyes serious. "You knew my Anjil lived!" he countered. "You knew she didn't die from the wound you gave her, and yet you never saw fit to tell me!" Yami was at a loss for words momentarily, and Bakura's expression softened a little. "Pharaoh, how would you have felt knowing that you'd adopted a tomb thief's daughter? Think about it. Three years ago you spat on the ground I walked on. I didn't want your memories of her to be tarnished by who her parents were. _That_ is why I never told you."

Slowly Yami let go of Bakura. "I suppose I can see the logic in that." He chuckled quietly and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh the irony of it all..." For a few minutes there was silence in the tent.

Bakura licked his lips thoughtfully. "Ryou, how would you like to go on a small fieldtrip today?"

"Where to?" Ryou asked.

"Kuru Eruna."

Ryou and Yami both blinked in surprise. "Bakura, are you sure-"

"Yes." Bakura said quietly. "If you don't want to come Ryou, it's fine. But..." His eyes drifted to where his mother's necklace was lying on top of his suitcase a few paces away.

"I understand," Ryou said, smiling. Something had clicked just then, a piece of the cosmic puzzle falling neatly into place. "Yeah, I'll go with you."

"When are you going to leave?" Yami asked.

"Right now." Both white haired boys chorused at once. Yami looked a little surprised, and Bakura laughed. "We'll be back before dinner Yami, no frets." He got up and stretched, and then headed outside to relieve himself and maybe take a quick shower before they left. Ryou bit his lip and motioned for Yami to come closer.

"Actually, I don't think we will. Be back, I mean." The telepath said quietly. "Not today. Something is wrong... Something is very wrong somewhere else, and I think Bakura and I are supposed to go fix it. We may not be back for a very long time."

Yami looked shocked for a moment, then sighed and smiled. "I suppose I should be getting used to this from you two. Be safe, okay?"

Ryou flashed him a grin and stood up. "Aren't we always?"

_A light on the water   
Grey ships pass   
Into the west. _

[End music - Into the West]

It was only a ten minute drive from the dig to what was left of Kuru Eruna. The ruins of the well at the center of the village was about all there was, since most of the buildings had been mud brick and had worn away long ago. Bakura sighed as he stopped the jeep and got out, running a hand over the well wall. "I thought there'd be more..."

"Nothing can stay the same," Ryou said quietly, quoting his mother.

Bakura smiled a little, lost in thought. "I remember Jona and I ganging up on the village bully once and pushing him into this well. We didn't know who'd kill us first, him, his mother, or our father. It was a good childhood, I guess. Better then most..."

Ryou let him ramble awhile, half-listening to him as he tried to figure out what could be wrong with the fabric of the universe. It was making a strange buzzing in his ears, so loud he was surprised Bakura couldn't hear it. "Bakura," he said at last, breaking into his brother's memories. "Bakura, night before last, while you and Yami were visiting the pyramids, I had a vision."

"I remember you telling me about that," Bakura agreed. "You said you'd talk about it later."

"It's later." Ryou said, drawing a deep breath and resisting the urge to rub his ears. The buzzing was getting louder, and higher pitched. Something was definitely wrong with the realms. Again. "It was just a jumble, images and voices... Something very old, and yet very young. But one thing was clear. Jonathon was the one who told me."

Bakura's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he looked around, as if expecting his twin to pop out of the sand. "How's that possible?"

Ryou shrugged. "I think that the afterlife is getting a bit too close to the living world...the veil is thinning, he told me."

Bakura groaned. "We are going to be in a lot of shit..."

_"Thomas!"_

Bakura nearly jumped out of his skin. "Holy hells of Amun-Ra, Jonathon! Don't do that!"

_"Sorry. Now listen up, because it's hard to communicate like this. It would make more sense to talk to Ryou directly, but I couldn't resist giving you a surprise....now. The Shadow Realm is starting to loom over what is best described as the 'mirror realms' and it's all gonna go to hell very soon. Your hikari needs to get there and help them set things right."_

"And how do you suggest he does that?"

_"That's the fun part, I have no clue. Maybe Fate will lend a hand?"_

Bakura blinked. "How do you know about Fate?"

_"I just do, so don't get all puffed up, Thomas."_

"I've told you not to call me that."

_"Right, right. Bakura, Bekhura, whatever. You're still Thomas no matter what....but now I need to leave you, it's getting too hard to speak to you."_

"Wait! Jonathon, what about--" But Jonathon was gone.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Bakura sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "My brother's a pain."

Ryou smiled. He knew Jonathon couldn't resist any sort of temptation to tease or embarrass his little brother. His expression soon turned serious again. "Anything new?"

"He's insisting that you find a way to one of these 'mirror realms' where the trouble is....and he mentioned that Fate might be able to lend a hand in that area...."

"I suppose..." Ryou put a hand over the Ring.

"What's wrong Ryou?" Bakura moved closer to the blind boy and put an arm around him. "You look pale. Are you feeling alright?"

Ryou closed his eyes. "....I'm scared, Bakura. I've done so much fighting, and gotten so close to getting killed or losing someone...I'll help these people if I can, of course...but I'm still afraid...."

"That's okay, Ryou." Bakura drew his former host and who he now fondly thought of and referred to as his younger brother into a hug. "I'm surprised you've lasted this long...aibou." He used the title fondly.

Ryou grinned a bit, appreciating Bakura's efforts. "Arigatou, mou hitori no boku." He responded and they shared a laugh. Though Bakura was not the spirit of the Ring anymore and had not been for some time now, they still occasionally used the yami and hikari nicknames for one another, kinda like a private joke within their original group of friends.

In front of them, the sun was just rising. The light shimmered off the sand, causing a heat wave effect. Both boys felt a cool breeze, and Ryou smiled as he sensed his mother.

"You must help to heal the balance, Child of Fate, or all is lost."

The wind suddenly kicked up, sending a swirl of sand into the air. When it dropped away, Kuru Eruna was an empty ruin once more.

And so began another adventure for the Child of Fate and his brother-yami. That tale is already well recorded in Ebony Kuroneko's book _Tarnished Soul_, so I will not rewrite it here. Ryou and Bakura leave my reach for a time, now, so I will pass on to other things until they join us again.

-()-

[1] - modern Arabic is _based_ on ancient Egyptian, but it is _not_ the same language. Yami and Bakura are actually trilingual, they speak Egyptian, Arabic, and Japanese. Both of them are also working on learning French and English.

[2] - Shepherd's Hotel appears in another one of my Egypt-based fanfics, _Hot Sands Warm Arms_.

[3] "...burn like Shishio." - Shishio is the main villain of the Kyoto arc of _Rurouni Kenshin_. He's completely wrapped in bandages, because during the Meiji revolution he was caught by his enemies and burned alive. :) Not a pretty sight.

[4] Teppic and Ptraci - Major kudos to anyone who can name the book Ryou was reading. =D Here's a hint: it has something to do with Egypt. I have no idea if a braille edition of the book exists or not, but for now let's all pretend, shall we? ;)

[5] - My personal belief is that there are indeed other rooms in the Great Pyramid. I also share Bakura's sentiment that the King's Chamber isn't a burial chamber at all, despite its sarcophagus. ;) Just my personal opinion. Feel free to argue your own views, I'm always ready to debate Egyptology.

[6] - According to some obscure ancient legends, there's a great library, with "all the knowledge of the gods" somewhere under the Sphinx. The second Sphinx legend they mention is self-explanatory. There's also the legend of the Riddle of the Sphinx, but that didn't truly originate until Greek times, so Yami and Bakura likely wouldn't know of it.

[7] - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. This particular bit of dialogue between Frodo and Gandalf was taken from the movie, because at the moment my books are AWOL. [sweatdrop]

[8] - Ra and Osiris I'm sure you know are Egyptian gods. Jehovah is the Hebrew name for the one True God, the God that Bakura grew up with until the time Kuru Eruna was destroyed, at which time he abandoned _all_ the gods.

[9] House of Beautification - Where all the mummification processes take place. Kinda strange name for it, eh? :P

()()()()()

WSJ: [eyes bug out] I finally finished!!!

Sekil: [sarcastically] Whoop-dee-doo.

WSJ: Shush you. I'm getting closer to the end. Not very much, but a little. :p So how'd you all like the chapter? Big, wasn't it? :D Longer then the snow storm chapter. I expect big reviews, yes?

Naosu: [giggles]

WSJ: [pouts] Aw man... Now that the chapter's over, I guess I've gotta give them back, don't I? [sulkily hands over Sekil, Naosu, and Nozomi] Ah well... I'll have Sekil back soon enough... [grins] Oh yeah, another note. The series has grown again. A side-story called _Heart of a Hebrew_ is in the works. You definitely don't need to read it if you don't want to, I'm just going to write it for my own peace of mind and so the characters can stop bugging me. It's set in ancient Egypt after Yami's death, and will focus on Shahi, Ramses, and Jonathon's sons during and after Seto's reign as pharaoh. ;) Probably won't get written for awhile, but that's the plan.

Bakura: -.- Everyone go read Tarnished Soul, by Ebony Kuroneko, as that tells what happens to Ryou and I in the other realm.

WSJ: Oh yes! That reminds me! Credit for most of the last scene, especially the dialogue between Jonathon and Bakura, goes to Ebony Kuroneko. Brilliant writer, isn't she? [pulls out a pocket watch and begins swinging it back and forth] You will go read her fics... You will go read her fics...

Nozomi: [scowls] Would you just get on with the last few chapters of HSH before Ebony decides to hang you up by your ankles?

WSJ: [gulps and runs off] Reviews minna!

**Chapter 16:** WSJ: (V/O) Well now, let's see what everyone else is doing!

Mokuba: How'd I get roped into doing this?

Lisa: [giggles] Just get in the car, Mokie-kun!

WSJ: (V/O) Huh. Roller coasters. And birthdays, apparently.

Gwen: [bounce] I'm turning nineteen tomorrow!

Amoura: 'Appy birthday Tea!

Madame: Julien too, don't forget!

WSJ: (V/O) And oh the fun we'll have...

Joey: [growls at Scott] Can't you just keep your nose out of things that don't concern you?!

WSJ: (V/O) No no, I meant real fun.

Malik: You want us to WHAT??

WSJ: (V/O) All this and more, next time!

God bless minna-san!


	16. Let's All Play Faire

WSJ: *stares hard at the ice cream truck that always passes her house* Is that a popcicle shaped like the Millennium Puzzle...?? *shakes her head and grins* Well, since you guys have been waiting so long and so patiently for me to update, hows about two in a row, eh? 

Ryou: *dryly* Ra spare us. 

WSJ: Heh, so you've decided to come back, have you? 

Ryou: Not by choice, I assure you. 

WSJ: *amused* Is that a Kawari-ism? You've been hanging around the Negatives too long, Ryou-boy. 

Ryou: Really now? *sips coffee* 

WSJ: *rolls eyes and pokes Bakura* Do disclaimer so we can get on with this. 

Bakura: WSJ does not own YGO in any way, shape, or form. Nor does she own Johnny Depp, who she's probably butchered, because she knows absolutely nothing about him. Amoura, Lisa, and Amoura's family belong to Brood Mayran. Sekil and his siblings belong to Ebony Kuroneko. And, Ra help them, Jona and various other OCs belong to WSJ. 

WSJ: Kat-chan, Rosie-chan, and I went to see the YGO movie a few days ago. ^o^ *hugs her Sorcerer of Dark Magic card and puts him in a handy protective dust sleeve* It was so awesome! XD The plot was something from a lame fanfic, but it was funny as all get out! We spent the entire time arguing about who was hotter and falling out of our chairs laughing. I think the only reason we didn't get kicked out was because there was a group of ten-year-old boys in front of us being noisier than we were. *smirk* Basically, we MSTed the movie. I got a ton of good quotes. Most of them will probably show up eventually on my "quote of the chapter". In fact, this chapter's quote is from our movie viewing. ^^ So enjoy! 

Ryou: Can we get on with this already? 

WSJ: Sure, sure. Off we go! 

Ryou & Bakura: *dryly* Yay. 

*grin* Teppic and Ptraci, from the book Ryou was reading last chapter, are from _Pyramids_, by Terry Pratchett. A lot of you guessed right! ^^ Good for you! 

Whew! I can see I have some of you confused! ^^ Okay then, I'll attempt to explain. **Anjil, Angeline, and Fate are _not_ the same person.** Fate is a goddess. She is and always will be. She was created (or "born", I suppose) at the beginning of time, and will not die until all the worlds end. She created the Millennium Ring, and lived in Egypt because of her connection to it. Anjil was a slave girl born in Egypt, who fell in love with and married Bekhura. Fate had various run-ins with Anjil and Bekhura, because he held the Ring. Bekhura was sealed into the Ring, and eventually Anjil died. The Elementals, including Fate, left earth and built a fortress in the Shadow Realm, where they stayed for the next several thousand years. Anjil was reborn as Angeline, the woman who was supposed to be Ryou's mother. But Angeline was killed in an accident when she was only ten. Time can see the future, and he knew that Angeline was supposed to give birth to Ryou. So he told Fate she had to become a mortal in order for something important to happen. Fate became a mortal, fell in love, and married Shen Bakura. She gave birth to Ryou and Amane, and then faked her own death so she could go back to being a goddess and get on with her duties. Of course, she made sure Ryou got her Ring, and continued to watch over him. Meanwhile, Anjil's been hanging out in Purgatory. There now. Does that make sense? 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 16 - Let's All Play Faire 

_

Quote of the chapter:

_

"Tell me, if the villain is a vengeful mage from Egypt, then why is Yami Bakura-kun not around?"  
~(Me, moaning over the lack of white-haired hotties in the YGO movie) 

Malik groaned, clutching his stomach as he climbed out of the car. Stumbling away from it, he all but collapsed on the grass in Gwen's front yard. "Jeez..." he moaned. "It's no wonder you've never been licensed to drive in Japan...!" 

Gwen stuck her tongue out at him as she and the other two got out of the car as well. "Oh put a sock in it, Malik. You're not a fantastic driver yourself." 

"She has a point, there." Ishtar said, holding out his uninjured hand to pull Malik to his feet. 

Malik made a face at his brother. "I'm used to desert driving, where there's no rules beyond 'don't flip your car over on that sand dune'." 

Ishtar looked slightly wistful. "Ah the good old days..." 

Gwen and Hiro just rolled their eyes as the four of them made their way inside. "Oh please." 

Once inside, they were greeted by the rest of Gwen's family, who had considerably cheered up since this morning. Most of them were gathered around the TV in the livingroom, and when Gwen and Hiro wandered in to join them, they realized that everyone was watching the news. It seemed that part of the duel that afternoon had been recorded, and now the summoning of the Winged Dragon of Ra was being broadcast over most of the major news channels. 

"Oh great," Ishtar muttered when he poked his head into the livingroom to see what all the commotion was about. "Now Yami's going to want my head..." 

Malik laughed a little as the two Egyptians retreated to the guest room, where they were staying. Ishtar flopped down on the air mattress on the floor, and Malik sat down cross-legged on the floor beside him. "Niisan," Malik said hesitantly, "Is your arm okay?" Though Ishtar wasn't technically an Egyptian spirit, Malik had taken to calling him big brother, just like Yugi and Ryou did their others. 

Ishtar, laying on his back with his eyes closed, grunted. "Yeah, 's okay. Hurts like hell, but I've felt worse." 

Malik blinked as something slowly began to dawn on him. He looked down at his own arm, which wasn't even red. "Ishtar... How could you get hurt without me being hurt too?" 

Ishtar sat up, wide-eyed. "....I don't know...." 

Malik frowned, looking thoughtful. "The balance is shifting... That's what Bakura said. Not becoming unbalanced, just shifting... Spirits becoming mortal..." 

"You think I'm turning into a mortal?" Ishtar asked, surprised. "But I'm not even a proper spirit!" 

"You _weren't_ a proper spirit," Malik corrected thoughtfully, pulling the Rod out of the back of his belt and rubbing a thumb over it absently. "But after Battle City something happened. You could separate from me, and you had a proper soulroom, and you've been out of the Rod more and more lately... I think you are turning into a mortal, niisan, just like Bakura!" 

Ishtar groaned a little, flexing the fingers of his hurt hand and wincing. "Wonderful. Just what I always wanted..." he trailed off, frowning a bit. "Malik, Ra was actually trying to emerge from the Shadow Realm. That hasn't happened since Battle City. What's going on?" 

Malik shrugged, gripping the Millenium Rod a bit tighter. "I don't know." 

Ishtar put his hands on his hips. "And how do you know Ra's a girl? More importantly, how could you know without _me_ knowing?" 

Malik shrugged again. "I don't know," he repeated. "When I touched her, it was like... I dunno, it was like I was suddenly inside her head. I think something's going wrong in the Shadow Realm, and that's why she tried to get out. I got the impression of a lot of shadows rising up against her." 

Ishtar's eyebrows went up. "Against a god?" 

Malik nodded. "Yeah. If whatever it is had got enough power to try and attack a god-ka, then we may be in a lot of trouble..." 

Ishtar sighed and lay down again, putting one arm over his eyes. "No shit." 

~*~

Joey yawned a little as he emerged into the sunlight, Serenity and Yugi just behind him. His side was still sore, but the doctors said it was healing up nicely and had allowed him to be released. So now he was on his way home. He and Serenity had agreed that since there were only about three weeks until school started, it would be useless to stay in Kyoto for the tail end of the family reunion when Joey would be much more comfortable at home in Domino. The three of them (Yugi, Joey, and Serenity) had plane tickets for that afternoon. Scott would be driving back with his parents in a week or so. 

"Joey!" 

Joey turned to face Duo, Miaka, and Tamahome. "Hi guys. Nice of you to show up." 

Miaka grinned. "Well, Duo told us you guys are planning on going home, so we decided to say good-bye." 

"It was nice meeting you." Tamahome chimed in, putting one arm around Miaka's shoulders. "And you'll come to the wedding, right?" 

Serenity grinned widely. "Of course! Just let us know when and where." 

"You'll have to bring that boyfriend of yours," Miaka told her with a wink. "He looks cute." Serenity giggled and gave her older cousin a hug. 

"See ya, man," Joey shook Tamahome's hand before moving on to give Miaka a hug too. "Take care." 

"We will," the two promised with a smile. 

"And I'll tell Sakura you said good-bye," Miaka added with another wink, which only made Serenity roll her eyes. 

"Bye Duo," Joey said, slapping his step-cousin a high-five and then wincing a bit as it pulled at his stitches. "Thanks for taking care of Serenity while I was being stupid." He looked sheepish, and Duo laughed a little as he gave Serenity a hug. 

"No problem," Duo assured him. "Just keep an eye on her from now on, all right?" 

Joey chuckled. "That's what Ryou's for." 

"It was nice to meet you, Yugi," Duo said, shaking the duelist's hand. "Can I count on you to keep Joey from doing stupid stuff like this in the future?" 

Yugi scratched the back of his head. "Oh I don't know... That's a hard order to fill...." 

Joey looked a little hurt. "Yugi!" 

Duo burst out laughing, and Serenity giggled. "Just do your best," Duo said, grinning. "Maybe I'll see you again some time." 

"Sure, I hope so." Yugi said, grinning. 

"Bye everyone!" Serenity waved as she, Joey, and Yugi headed toward the car Yugi had rented. They were headed back to the hotel to pick up their bags, and then it was off to the airport and home. 

~*~

"Noooo!" Rebecca howled in disbelief as another dart went wide. "I swear, the game's rigged!" 

"Of course it is," Mokuba chuckled. "Niisama built it." He could practically _hear_ Seto rolling his eyes, but for the moment Mokuba ignored him. Seto had actually been pretty quiet all day, leaving Mokuba to wonder if he was all right. But for now he put the matter out of his mind as Lisa, too, missed. 

The game was relatively simple. Behind the counter was a wall covered in balloons. Most of them were yellow, but every so often there was a red or a blue one. There were five levels of prizes at this booth: Really Small, Small, Medium, Large, and Gigantic. And of course, the much coveted Kami no Kardo dolls were Gigantic. You had to hit five yellow balloons, three red balloons, or one blue balloon to move up a prize level. And at two thousand yen for five darts, the game was a huge money-guzzler. So far, Lisa was on level Medium, while Rebecca was still stuck on Small. And it looked like both of them were running out of money fast. 

Mokuba sighed deeply as the girls began to look disappointed. Despite Seto's warnings in the back of his head, the teenage CEO pulled out his wallet. Lisa and Rebecca's eyes lit up, and Mokuba smiled a little as the booth attendant looked at him, apparently not recognizing him as Mokuba Kaiba. That was all right, today he just wanted to be a teenager anyway, not the owner of the park. 

Smiling a little, because he loved a challenge as much as his brother, Mokuba slapped a ¥50,000 bill down on the counter. "Darts, please." 

Two hours and nearly a million yen later, all three of them walked away with a god. 

~*~

Duke smiled as Minako slipped her hand into his. He could practically feel Makoto glaring a hole in the back of his neck, but for the minute it didn't matter. The three of them, as well as Usagi and Rei, were on their way to the arcade, where Ami was supposed to meet them. It was the same arcade where Duke had taken shelter with Naru and Motoki from the Daimon attack all those weeks ago. 

As soon as they walked in the door, Minako detached herself from him, and she and Usagi raced toward the bank of Sailor V games in the middle of the arcade. Makoto laughed at them, and Rei rolled her eyes. Motoki, who was behind the counter, smiled and waved at them. "Konnichiwa!" 

"Hi Motoki," Makoto smiled, walking over to the blond man. "This is Duke Devlin, Rei-chan's cousin. He's visiting from Tokyo for awhile." 

Motoki blinked. "We've met," he said faintly. "You're not _that_ Duke Devlin, are you?" he asked, clearly surprised. 

"Huh?" Duke asked. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand." 

Wordlessly Motoki pointed to the side of one of the video games, where the maker was printed in bold letters. **Black Crown Gaming Industries**. Duke blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "Uhh, yeah. I'm that Duke Devlin." 

Rei gasped, and Makoto's mouth fell open. "Duke-kun!" Rei accused. "You never told me you were the owner of Black Crown!" 

Duke looked at her a little strangely. "How many Duke Devlins do you think there are in Japan?" 

Behind them the doors to the arcade opened and Ami walked in, followed by Luna and Artemis, the two talking Moon-cats. Ami smiled and greeted her friends, and Duke wandered over to where Minako was getting beaten (again) at a race car driving game. "It helps if you don't try to accelerate so quickly after the game starts. Wait a lap or so, and then start pouring on the power." 

She looked up at him, a little surprised. "Oh! I didn't see you there, Duke." 

He grinned. "Sorry." 

Suddenly she got a strange glimmer in his eye that made Duke a little nervous. Minako hopped out of the chair and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back toward the front of the arcade. Duke saw where she was heading and sweatdropped. "Mina-chan, nooo! Not again!" 

Minako didn't answer. Her eyes were firmly locked on the set of Dance Dance Revolution machines near the front windows. 

~*~

Joey was lounging in the hotel's lobby, waiting for Yugi and Serenity to bring the bags down, because they'd made him promise not to strain himself. He sighed, trying to resist the temptation to scratch at his stitches, since they were itching like all get out. He hardly noticed when she came and sat down beside him, and when she spoke he nearly jumped to the ceiling. 

"Why'd you do it?" 

Joey managed to stuff his heart back down his throat as he turned to look at Mai. She had a strange look on her face, a gentle look, almost. It was like the look she'd had just after she'd woken up from her stay in the Shadow Realm during Battle City, and had found out how hard he'd fought for her. She looked mystified, and flattered, and... and she looked like she loved him. But maybe Joey was just reading too far into it. 

"Why'd I do what?" 

"You know what I mean," she said, her face changing so she looked slightly irritated, too. Joey tried not to grin. Irritated, he could handle. The other stuff was all mush and mysteries to him. 

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Joey admitted, looking away from her and out across the lobby. "And... I dunno. Maybe I was doing it just because that guy needed brought to justice. Maybe I did it because I knew anyone you loved that much had to be an okay guy, and so he hadn't deserved to die. Maybe I did it because I felt like you liked Scott more than me, and I needed a way to prove myself. Hell, maybe it was all those reasons. But I think... mostly... I think I mostly did it because you wanted me too, and I still love you enough to do as I'm told." 

Mai's heart thudded at the present tense, and she was glad that Joey wasn't looking at her, because she was sure her face was as red as the carpet. "I - I didn't want you to run off after him. You nearly got yourself killed, you jerk!" 

Joey smiled a little. Yeah, same old Mai. "You didn't consciously want me to go off and get myself killed, but your eyes were practically begging me to at least try and get revenge for your Kale. So I figured, what the heck, I'll play hero again." 

"Well this time certainly worked out better than last time." 

Joey's grin widened a tad. "Yeah." 

For awhile they sat side-by-side in silence, not looking at each other, and not quite touching. For once, the silence wasn't strained or tense. It was just the easy, content silence of friends. Or lovers. 

"So was that a good enough revenge for you, Mai-chan?" 

It was Mai's turn to smile a little. "Yeah." 

After awhile longer, Mai stood up, and for the first time Joey noticed the duffle bag by her feet. "Hey, where're you going?" 

Mai's grinned widened a bit. "Home. Back to Tokyo U. And I swear, Joey, this time I won't run off again." 

"You'd better not!" Joey said, climbing to his feet and putting his hands on his hips, grinning roguishly. "Or I'll..." 

"Or you'll what?" Mai asked, amusement flickering in her eyes. 

Joey didn't bother to answer, he just put a hand on her shoulder, looked into her eyes, and kissed her. 

Yugi and Serenity, who'd just come out of the elevator with the bags, had to slap their hands over each other's mouths to keep from squealing happily at the sight. "It's about time!" Serenity giggled quietly, not wanting to disturb the pair. 

Yugi nodded enthusiastically, his spirits already up. "Nooo kidding!" 

~*~

Rebecca giggled, hugging her huge Saint Dragon of Osiris plushie, which was currently wrapped around her neck like some giant boa constrictor. "Oh Mokie-kun! Thank you soooo much!!" She leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek, making the black-haired boy blush. 

The three of them and their plushies were sitting at an outdoor table set up near the food court, slurping on ice cream cones. Lisa's giant Winged Dragon of Ra took up an entire chair by itself, as did Mokuba's big God of Obelisk (of course). 

Lisa looked a little worried. "You didn't have to spend so much money on us, Mokie..." 

Mokuba grinned. "It's okay. I wanted one too! Besides, what kind of gentleman _doesn't_ win prizes for his ladies?" 

The girls giggled and blushed, and then went back to their ice cream. 

//Mokuba, that... thing is in my soulroom with me.// 

Mokuba grinned a little. /I was wondering if you were still awake, niisama. I thought you'd like a God of Obelisk./ 

//Oh hai, hai, but it's plush. Gods are not meant to be plush. I'm just wondering if you've lost your mind.// 

Mokuba tried not to giggle. /Niisama.../ 

"Mokuba!" Mokuba blinked, breaking off his mental conversation with Seto to look at Lisa. "Hai?" 

Lisa grinned, licking the last of her ice cream off her fingers. "You were spacing out again. Come on, let's go ride some roller coasters!" 

//Ohh noooo....// 

Mokuba sweatdropped a little. Seto hated roller coasters with a passion. "Um, Lisa-chan, what would we do with our dolls?" 

"They have attendants to watch backpacks and prizes and stuff," Rebecca waved away his question and grabbed his wrist. "Now come _on_!" 

Mokuba allowed himself to be drug toward one of the biggest roller coasters in the park, the Dark Hole. It was a completely indoor coaster, and in the pitch black, and you spent something around 65% of the ride upside-down. He loved it, but Seto had never been on it once. Mokuba had never been able to figure out if it was because roller coasters just made Seto sick, or if he was actually scared of them. The three teens got in line, but once one of the attendants recognized Mokuba, he ushered the trio straight to the front of the line. Mokuba tried to protest, but the attendant (and Lisa and Rebecca) would hear nothing of it. 

So the three of them got strapped in, their bags and god dolls sitting safely beside the ride pilot person. Mokuba grinned giddily as the harness was brought down over his head and snapped into place. 

//Aaarg...// 

/Aw, come on niisama, it isn't _that_ bad,/ Mokuba admonished. /It's just steel and wire and lots of electricity. Perfectly safe, and lots of fun, too./ The ride began to move forward at a deceptively slow pace, and beside him Rebecca giggled and squeezed his hand. 

//Double aaarg.// 

~*~

"Do you need anything, Amoura?" 

The French girl laughed slightly. "No, Tea, I am fine." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Very." 

For the past week or so, since the boys had left for Egypt, Amoura hadn't moved from the couch other than to go to the bathroom. Tea had been waiting on her hand and foot, and while it wasn't annoying yet, it was beginning to get there. 

"Tea," Amoura said suddenly as the two girls sat in the livingroom watching TV. Amoura was stretched out on the couch, while Tea was curled up in an armchair nearby, brushing out her long hair. It was mid-morning, and they were relaxing and watching Julien while Valeraine went out shopping and Annalee fixed lunch. Strange, everyone seemed to be in a real tizzy today... Amoura was wearing a t-shirt and a long, loose skirt, about the only kind of bottoms she _could_ wear with her cast, while Tea was dressed in shorts and t-shirt with slippers. 

"Hmm?" Tea asked, glancing up at her friend from under her long bangs. 

Amoura bit her lip, wondering how to apologize to her friend. Today was Tea's twentieth birthday, but between going to Switzerland and then being laid up with her broken leg, Amoura hadn't been able to get her a present. She knew her friend would understand, of course, but Amoura still felt bad about it. "Um, I just vanted to vish you a 'appy birthday, and to zay I'm zor-" 

She was interrupted as the doorbell rang. 

"I'll get it!" Madame hurried down the stairs in a much fancier dress than she usually wore, patting her hair into place with one hand and looking a bit flushed. The two teenage girls just stared as she swept toward the front door. 

"Are we expecting anyone important today?" Tea asked, puzzled. Over the past few days, quite a few people had "just dropped by" the house to see Amoura and ask how she was doing. It seemed that overnight the green-haired girl had become a celebrity. Tea had jokingly started calling her "the Girl who Lived", but that only earned her whacks and thrown pillows when she said it in Amoura's hearing. 

"I don't zink zo..." Amoura said, equally mystified. Sitting on the couch with her casted leg propped up in front of her, she could see the front door clearly, whereas Tea was around the corner from it. "Grandmama lookz excited zough... I can't zink who it could possibly..." Amoura trailed off and her eyes widened a little as Madame opened the door and she got her first look at who it was over her grandmother's shoulder. "Oh my gods..." 

"What?" Tea asked, blinking. "Who?" 

"Well now," came a deep, friendly voice from the entry hall. "Where is the little lady? I certainly hope she's doing well, Madame Letazaut." 

He was speaking French, whereas the last time Tea had heard him it had been in an American movie, but she would have recognized that voice anywhere. Her room at her parent's house was covered in posters of him. So was Amoura's room, for that matter. The two girls stared at each other with wide eyes, daring each other to disbelieve what they'd just heard. Almost in one leap, Tea was across the room and perched on the edge of Amoura's couch, staring down the hall to where Madame stood talking to their tall, handsome visitor. 

"_Eeeeee!!_" Amoura squealed quietly, clutching Tea's hands in a white-knuckled grip. Tea didn't mind, though, since she was squeezing Amoura's hands just as hard. "Oh Tea, it's _him_!! He's actually in my _house_!!!!" 

"I know, I know!" Tea tried to keep the decibels down, but it was hard. After all, it's not every day the love of your life shows up at your front door. Well, okay fine, the heart throb you've always had your eye on. Bad Tea. _Yugi_ is the love of your life. Must hang on to that thought. 

At least until Johnny Depp turned and looked right at her. 

For an instant, both girls thought they were going to faint. Johnny grinned and strode over to them, going down on one knee so he was eye-level with them. Instantly visions of proposal flitted through Amoura and Tea's minds, but alas, it was not to be. 

"Feeling better, Mademoiselle Amoura?" he asked, flashing his million-kilowatt grin at her. She just nodded dumbly, too stunned to speak. "I hope so," he continued, apparently aware of and sympathetic to their tongue-tied plight. "It was really brave, you know, what you did. And that boyfriend of yours, too." 

Amoura blushed a little, but found she couldn't deny it. Bakura _was_ her boyfriend, and she was proud of that. So she just nodded again, instead. 

Yunet, seemingly curious about this handsome visitor, padded up and sniffed Johnny's shoes. The actor laughed and scooped up the kitten, setting her on Amoura's lap where both of them could easily scratch her. She rolled over belly up and began to purr almost immediately. Johnny laughed a little. 

"And you're Mademoiselle Tea, yes?" he turned to Tea, then, nearly startling the other girl into a coma. All the movie stars and diplomats who had come before had all just sat and talked to Amoura, paying Tea no attention at all as she sat quietly and read or just listened. She knew French better than a lot of people thought. To have _Johnny Depp_ speak to her was enough to nearly send her into cardiac arrest. 

"Y-yes, I'm Tea." she said, nearly swallowing her lips in the process. Gods, but he was gorgeous up close! 

"I thought so." Johnny's eyes crinkled in laughter as he pulled out a bundle he'd had tucked under one arm. Neither of the girls had noticed it until that moment, having been too busy staring at his beautiful face. It was wrapped in flashy yellow and gold paper, tied with a big silver bow. "This is for you. Happy birthday, mademoiselle." 

Tea's eyes nearly popped out of her skull, but she managed to take the present with trembling hands. After a nod of encouragement from Johnny and a slightly envious glare from Amoura, Tea began to rip into the wrapping paper. Inside was an adorable stuffed puppy, a terrier of some kind, by the look of it. It was soft, too, as Tea found out when she hugged it against her chest. "Thank you so much!!" 

Johnny grinned and winked. "His name's Jack." 

The two girls laughed a little, and suddenly Amoura seemed to think of something. She leaned over a little to dig around in the bag that was sitting next to the couch, and pulled out a fat permanent marker. "Umm... Monsieur Depp-sama, um, sir? Would you be willing to sign my cast?" 

Johnny grinned again, taking the marker from her. "Of course!" Turning a little in his seat, he hunted for a space clear enough to sign. "Gosh Mademoiselle Amoura, you have a lot of friends." 

Amoura giggled a little and sat up more so she could point to the large, slightly scribbled kanji in the middle of her shin. "That's my boyfriend, Yami Bakura." 

Johnny smiled. "I'll sign right underneath him, how's that?" He winked. "So I can be second in your heart _and_ on your cast." 

Amoura blushed deeply as Johnny signed his name with a flourish and recapped the pen. The three chatted for a while longer, Amoura and Tea slowly losing their nervousness around the charming movie star. Soon he had them both laughing with a story about working with fellow heart throb Orlando Bloom on the set of _Pirates of the Caribbean_. 

"Oh boy," Tea had to wipe a tear out of her eye, still hugging Jack the dog with her other arm. "Gwen will love that one. She's a big Orli fan." she explained when she saw Johnny's questioning look. 

Johnny chuckled a little. "He was quite a character, all right. Nice man, wonderful to work with." 

A few minutes later Madame came in with several glossy pictures of Johnny gotten from who-knows-where, and he happily signed them. One was then given to Tea, one to Amoura, and Madame kept one. She _said_ it was for Annalee, but the way she eyed Johnny when his back was turned made Amoura wonder a little. 

After that, Johnny said he had to go, and politely declined staying for lunch, although he said he'd like to. He gave both Amoura and Tea hugs, and skillfully pretended not to notice as they melted all over him. It was sad seeing him leave, but at least they got to look at his butt as he walked out the door. 

"Oh Amoura!" Tea threw her arms around her friend almost as soon as he was gone, almost crying in her happiness. Yunet squeaked in protest and jumped down as she was almost squished. "That was the BEST birthday present ever!!! Thank you so much!" 

Over Tea's shoulder, Amoura saw her grandmother closing the door behind Johnny. Madame turned and caught her eye... and winked. Amoura smiled, the only thanks she could give at the moment, and hugged Tea back. 

"'Appy birthday, Tea-chan." 

(All right, small note. The entire conversation between Johnny and the two girls took place in French, which was why Amoura's accent seemed to "vanish". After Johnny left, they switched back to Japanese. Many hugs and LOADS of pocky to NeoChaosCrystal for the Johnny Depp idea and her encouragement to "wing it". ^_^ Thanks for all your support, girl!) 

~*~

Weeks passed, and August arrived in California. It was hot out, and muggy, something that the duo from Egypt weren't accustomed too. They spent most of their time in the water these days, surfing or swimming or just generally having a good time. One morning in mid-August, though, Gwen didn't come bouncing down to breakfast in her swimsuit and shorts, like she usually did. In fact, she didn't come bouncing down to breakfast at all. Hiro was beginning to get a bit worried when Gwen's sister Kris shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen, yawning. 

"Gwen where?" Hiro asked in his faulty English. "Sick?" 

Kris gave him an annoyed look and said something in fast-paced English that Hiro couldn't catch. Looking more annoyed, Kris poked her older brother Josh, who spoke Japanese almost as well as Gwen. 

"No, Gwen's not sick," Josh assured Hiro, smiling wryly. "The Los Angeles Ren Faire starts today, so Gwen's probably getting ready. I think she's planning on dragging you guys along." 

"Ren faire?" Malik asked. It didn't sound promising, especially after that humiliating episode with the cosplay at Pegasus Con. "Do I really want to know?" 

Josh snickered. "Renaissance festival. Midieval English type of stuff. Gwen likes to go and annoy the buskers." He chuckled again. 

"Buskers?" Ishtar asked, looking up from his bagel. 

"Wandering street musicians," Hiro clarified. "Gwen's Celtic-obsessed." 

"Celtic and Broadway?" Malik asked, remembering Gwen's rather diverse CD collection. He shook his head. Americans were _weird_. 

Josh nodded, then glanced around and leaned forward a little. "If it's not too much trouble, you guys," he said in a lower voice. "Could you make sure Gwen doesn't come home until 8 o'clock or so tonight? Her birthday's tomorrow, so we're going to set up a surprise party for her." 

Malik, Ishtar, and Hiro looked at each other in surprise. They'd no idea what Gwen's birthday was so close. Hiro had known it was sometime in the summer, but hadn't been sure of exactly when. "Sure," Hiro answered for all three of them. "No problem. Maybe the three of us will be able to find presents for her at the faire." 

Josh grinned and nodded his thanks. "Should be easy. Gwen's always complaining she never takes enough money to those faires, and that there's too much cool stuff to buy." 

Malik groaned a little, causing the other three to look at him. "You know what this means?" the Egyptian whined. "We have to submit to Gwen's driving again." 

"Oh hell," Ishtar cursed. "I'm barely recovered from the last time!" 

"Do I hear cracks on my driving skills from in here?" 

The four men turned, and Hiro oogled openly. Gwen was dressed in a long, red peasant skirt and a low-collared white linen shirt. Over top, she was wearing a darker red leather vest that laced up the front, showing off every curve. She was wearing high boots, and enough bangles and Celtic jewelry (including a thin metal torque of some kind that rested around her neck like a collar) to fund the entire U.S. Army. Over her skirt she wore some kind of a shawl tied around her waist. It had coins sewn onto the hem, so that she jingled whenever she moved. The overall effect was that of a Celtic gypsy gone mad. 

Gwen saw Hiro's expression, and her expression turned catty as she slunk over to him, wiggling her hips and making her shawl jingle madly. "I see someone else has an appreciation for good Celtic fashion." She leaned over and kissed Hiro's nose, and Malik thought for a moment the poor boy might faint, though from the kiss or the view of Gwen he was getting, Malik wasn't sure. 

Josh rolled his eyes and smacked his big sister's rump, causing Gwen to jump and straighten. "Sis, if you give the guy a nosebleed I am _not_ cleaning it up." 

Gwen stuck her tongue out at him. "Spoilsport." She turned back to her friends and smiled widely. "Ready to go?" 

Ishtar sighed dramatically, pulling himself to his feet. "If we _must_..." He grinned and ducked quickly to avoid Gwen's whack. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: =3 *makes a cute kitty face and hugs the first Fruits Basket manga* I love Kyo-kun! He's such a cutie, and soooo sweet! (Yuki's cute too, but I don't like him near as much as Kyo) *giggles and swoons* 

Ryou: -.- Great, she's going all shojo on us again... Guess that leaves us with the closing notes. 

Bakura: Joy. *glances at the clipboard SJ had dropped in favor of the Fruits Basket manga* Umm, let's see... Ah yes, SJ's friend LoneWolf16 found a way around FF.N's symbol problem, as can obviously be seen from this chapter. The info is posted up on SJ's website if anyone else is interested in doing a little extra work to recover your symbols. 

Ryou: Second of all, SJ wants to apologize to all Johnny Depp fans. She knows next to nothing about him, especially when it comes to personalities, so she royally fudged it. -_- SJ is the kind of girl who went to see _Pirates of the Caribbean_ because of Orlando Bloom, and not Johnny Depp. 

Bakura: For those wondering/curious/out of their ever-loving minds, Tea's birthday is August the 18th (officially), while Gwen's is August the 16th. SJ even has them marked on her calendar. 

Ryou: Only the electronic one on her computer. 

Bakura: Whatever. If everyone will now turn their attention to the small clock in the corner of their computer screen. Note the date. Two years ago tomorrow was when the first chapter of _Visions of the Heart_ was posted here on FF.N. Heaven knows why SJ would want to commemorate that. *rolls eyes* She would have posted it tomorrow, but FF.N is scheduled to be doing repair stuffs, and the day after that school starts, so she figured she'd save the hassel and post a day early. Be grateful. 

Ryou: And, lastly, SJ actually has the rest of this fic done already, along with the first chapter of _Yamis of Tokyo U: Sophomore_. The reason they're not posted already is because the end of August/beginning of September are full of "special dates" for her. *rolls eyes* Therefore, the next chapter of HSH will be posted September 2, my birthday. The last chapter of HSH and first chapter of YoTU:S will both be posted on September 16, which is SJ's 16th birthday. She wanted to do something really special for her sixteenth, and I guess this is the best she could come up with. 

Bakura: *sigh* Well, at least it's almost over. There's only two chapters left to go, 18 will be the last. So enjoy! And review. *goes off to find a crowbar to try and pry the Furuba manga out of SJ's grip* 

**Chapter 17:** WSJ: (V/O) Things are definitely winding down, but there's still another two chapters left to go! 

Usagi: You gotta keep in touch with us, Duke-san! 

Rei: No going another nine years without seeing me again! 

WSJ: (V/O) The Sailor Senshi are saying good-bye, and so are another pair of cousins, in a less nice way... 

Scott: Just leave me the hell alone! 

Joey: FINE! 

WSJ: (V/O) Hmm... But what's this? Blackmail material? 

Malik: No way. No way in _hell_. 

Gwen: Aww, come on Malik! Dance with me! 

Malik: I. Don't. Dance. 

WSJ: (V/O) Could be interesting. ^^ All this and more, next time! Ja! 

God bless minna-san! 


	17. The Beginning of the End

WSJ: *grin* Well, welcome back. ^^ This chapter promises to be a really great one. Ren faires are a lot of fun, so of course it's natural for me to send Gwen-tachi to one as soon as I get the chance. And no, Gwen's faire garb isn't the same as mine. I wear a tan skirt with a white shirt and a buckskin vest. I do wear about ten tons of jewelry with it, though. 

Bakura: *rolls eyes* Would you get _on_ with it?! 

WSJ: Sure sure. *pokes Ryou* Disclaimer! 

Ryou: *sweatdrop* You notice this keeps getting longer as the fic goes on? WSJ does not own YGO, nor does she own Sailor Moon. Amoura, Lisa, and Amoura's immediate family belong to Brood Mayran. Sekil and his siblings belong to Ebony Kuroneko. Gwen and various OCs belong to SJ. SJ also owns Amoura's various cousins, although I don't think she really wants them. 

WSJ: *runs through, chasing Amoura's extended family with a squeaky blow-up hammer from Kaiba Land* Diiiiiie!!!!!! 

Ryou & Bakura: Oo; *back away* 

**Saiyen Jedi**: Whooo! ^__^ I loff it all! Thankie!! Hey, do you have e-mail? I wanna e-mail you! I think we may live a lot closer than you think!! *bounces excitedly* 

Muse-ic of the Moment: _Celtic Angels_ and _Steps From the Highlands_, both off of the **Celtic Spectacular** CD. 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 17 - The Beginning of the End 

_Quote of the Chapter:_

"Aw, look Kat-chan! Anubis is so scared of Yami no Yugi-kun, he's making a puddle around his boots!"  
~(Me, sugar high, watching the YGO movie) 

Joey was reluctant to let Mai go, now that she was letting him hold her again, but she promised she'd drop by to see him once he got home. So he let her pick up her bag and leave, turning back at the doors to wave at him and blow him a kiss. Grinning foolishly, Joey mimed catching it and holding it to his heart. Mai smiled at him, and then with one final wave she was gone. 

Joey only had a minute to gaze at where she'd disappeared, because almost as soon as she'd gone someone pushed him from behind, sending him sprawling across the couch where he and Mai had been sitting. He yelped as he fell against his stitches, but miraculously he didn't feel anything pop. He sat up quickly and turned to face whoever had pushed him, eyes smoldering. "Hey! Who do you think you-" 

His voice died in his throat as he beheld his cousin Scott standing over him, arms crossed and face dark. Joey scrambled to his feet, facing his slightly taller cousin. "What's your problem, Scott?!" 

Scott frowned. It wasn't _quite_ a scowl, but he definitely wasn't pleased. "Oh, maybe... you?" 

Joey frowned as well. "What'd I do?" he asked, although he had a suspicion that he knew. Quietly, he gulped, wondering if Mai would still love him if he was black and blue. No way could he fight off Scott with stitches in his side. Hell, it'd be hard for him to fight Scott off if he was in top condition! 

Scott's eyes narrowed. "Damnit Joey! You had your chance, and you blew it! What makes you think you can just waltz right back in and pick up where you left off?!" 

"Hey, Mai's the one who's got choice, here, and she chose me!" 

Scott growled. "Only because you had to go and play dumb hero. I was working on a way to take that gang leader out without having to resort to bloodshed! I should have been the one Mai kissed just now!" 

"Oh, yeah?" Joey couldn't help but smirk. "News flash, it wasn't." 

"If you weren't already busted up," Scott said darkly. "I'd hit you." 

Joey blinked and gulped a little, his smirk disappearing from his face. "Over a woman?" 

Scott's temper snapped. "You jerk! Mai's not just a woman! If that's how you see her, you don't deserve her at all!" 

"I know very well what she is!" Joey shot back, his own temper wearing dangerously thin. "She's a kind, courageous woman, who's willing to fight to make her dreams come true! She knows her limitations and her talents, and I think she knows her heart well enough to know who she loves! One guess as to who that is, Scott." 

"Me," Scott hissed, grabbing Joey by the collar but managing to refrain himself from hitting his cousin. "She danced with me, kissed me, and loved me once, Joey. I can win her love again." 

Joey stared his cousin in the eye, unflinching. "You're on." 

"Children!" 

Joey and Scott pushed away from each other to see Serenity and Yugi standing by with the bags. Yugi was blinking, as if unsure of what he should do, but Serenity was frowning, with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "If you boys could _kindly_ stop your schoolyard squabbles, Yugi and Joey and I have a plane to catch!" 

Joey blushed a little, and Scott looked down at his toes, running a hand through his hair. "Sorry Serenity..." they both muttered. Yugi snickered a little, which only earned him a glare from both of them. 

Instantly Serenity's face transformed into one of cheerful brilliance. "Why thank you! Joey, there's no way you're lifting anything. Scott, would you pleeease help me carry my bags to the car?" She fluttered her eyelashes, and Scott sweatdropped. 

"Sere', you know I hate it when you give me the eyes..." Following along behind the trio, Scott stared at Joey's back. Feeling his gaze, Joey turned around and shot him a look, which Scott returned. Serenity just sighed and massaged her temples, wondering which of them would need to be castrated first. 

-()-

"Ugh..." 

Mokuba glanced over at Rebecca, concern on his face. "Are you all right?" 

//No. I hate roller coasters, and you know it,// 

/I didn't ask you!/ 

"I'm fine," Rebecca said with a sigh. "But do you realize we're going back to school in less than two weeks?" Lisa and Mokuba groaned too. 

All three of them were strolling along the midway, their Kami no Kardos draped over their shoulders. After a few roller coasters, Mokuba had given in to Seto's mental demands and suggested they go play some more games. Mokuba had won a Change of Heart plushie that he planned to give to Ryou, as well as a little Toon Blue Eyes that Seto had demanded he burn. Lisa had a Harpie Lady and a Lady of Faith, and Rebecca was towing a Magician of Black Chaos, Magician of Faith, and Gemini Elf. 

"Aw cripes..." Lisa muttered. "School bad..." 

Rebecca sighed. "No kidding... But at least I'll have Mokie-kun to help me with my homework!" She grinned. Arthur was still in Egypt, so until further notice she was still staying at the Kaibas'. 

Lisa giggled at them. It was beginning to get late, so they were beginning to drift toward the exit so they could go home. They walked on in silence for awhile, until Lisa spoke up. "Thanks for bringing us, Mokie-kun. I had a lot of fun today." 

"Me too." Rebecca agreed. The two girls grinned at each other, and then leaned over to give a suddenly blushing Mokuba a kiss on each cheek. 

In his soulroom, Seto sighed and rolled over. He was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, for once wishing that Ryou _hadn't_ saved his soul. He'd done a lot of thinking since last night, probably too much thinking. What if Mokuba really didn't need him anymore? And even if he did... 

Even if Mokuba did need him, Seto wasn't sure anymore if he wanted to be needed. What if he was stuck with Mokuba for the rest of his little brother's life? Mokuba would get older, fall in love, and Seto would always be eighteen. Seto would seem like more and more of an intrusion into Mokuba's life... 

Seto rolled over again, letting his arm hang off the side of his bed. Here, in his soulroom, he was dressed in a pair of light sweats and a t-shirt, comfortable clothes he'd never let himself wear in the real world. His bed was nuzzled up in the corner of his soulroom farthest from the door, with satin sheets and a scarlet comforter. The carpet on the floor was a deep red too. Other than the bed, his soulroom really didn't look like a bedroom at all. Every inch of wall space not taken up with the door or bed was covered in shelves. A lot of them held books, although some were reserved for various little trinkets and do-dads, a few held framed photos, and one had a suitcase on it with the spiritual equivalent of his dueling deck inside. In the center of the room was a desk, with a comfortable armchair scooted up to it and the various components of his latest invention spread across the top. Over in one corner, piled together, were a huge stuffed lion, a battered teddy bear, an old and worn-looking white stuffed cat, and Mokuba's new Obelisk plushie. There had used to be a giant, floppy-eared rabbit that Seto had been rather fond of, but apparently it had been replaced by Obelisk, because it wasn't there anymore. Seto really had no idea why these stuffed... toys were there, just that they were. [1] 

Rolling off his bed, he wandered idly over to the pile and picked up the cat, turning it over in his hands as he walked back to the bed. The stitching was very worn, and in places it looked like the seams had burst and someone had been very clumsy about repairing them. It was hardly fuzzy anymore, most of the fur having been rubbed away. One ear was missing, and the tail hung at a crooked angle. But the cat's blue eyes, original ones or not, were still bright and clear. Somehow, Seto always felt better hugging this stupid stuffed cat. 

(Oooooh the symbolism! *wiggles* ^^ See footnotes.) 

Sitting down on his bed, he pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged the cat, feeling suddenly very small and very sad. He sniffed, but made no move to hide his tears, as there was no one but the cat to see, and stifled another moan, trying to ignore Mokuba's happiness, which for once had nothing to do with him, welling up and washing against his closed soulroom door. 

-()

As soon as they reached the fair grounds, Hiro could tell that they were in for another day of torture. Gwen's driving was just as mad as always, and today it actually seemed a little worse than normal. That couldn't be a good sign. 

Gwen yanked them all out of the car as soon as they got there, and all Malik, Hiro, and Ishtar could do was give each other pitying looks as they got dragged around from stall to stall at approximately the speed of light. It seemed Josh had been right when he said Gwen liked to annoy wandering musicians, because whenever they came across one, Gwen had to stop and request a song, and then she made them all stand around while she listened, and occasionally sang along. Hiro had been a little surprised to note that her voice, which was a deep alto, was pretty good. Not stunningly beautifully Mary-Sue-ish, but okay. 

It seemed that most of the buskers knew Gwen, and Hiro gathered that she'd been coming to these faires since she was ten or eleven. Most of them were happy to oblige Gwen her requests, which seemed to consist mostly of "Sheebeg Sheemore", "Banish Misfortune", and anything by Loreena McKennitt. If the busker wielded a fiddle, Gwen would usually request "The Skull Hill Ghost" or "Fiddler Girl", which usually brought her laughs, but occasionally a few bars were actually played of the fictional song.[2] 

Just after noon, they stopped at a small tavern with outdoor seating for lunch. Gwen had already bought a new necklace, a small dragon statue, and several pairs of earrings from various stalls, and had laughingly declared that they'd better get food before she ran out of money. So they sat down around one of the rough wooden tables and ate their lunch, chatting happily about the faire. It wasn't nearly as bad as Hiro had feared. The general atmosphere was a good one, and he could see why Gwen seemed to thrive under these conditions. 

No sooner had they finished lunch and left the tavern when they ran into another busker. This one was a man, tall with shaggy brown hair and a flute case slung over one shoulder. Apparently Gwen knew him very well, or at least Hiro _hoped_ she did, because as soon as she saw him she all but flung herself into his arms, screeching something in English. The guy laughed and hugged her, but then let her go, easing Hiro's jealousy a little. 

"This is Banyon," Gwen explained to the boys in Japanese, her eyes lit up with happiness. "He's an old friend of my mother's. I can remember him coming over to my house when I was just a little girl and playing his flute for us." She turned back to Banyon, apparently introducing them. She said something else, and he laughed. 

Malik poked Hiro in the back. "Now may be a good time to go shopping." he said quietly. 

Hiro nodded and tapped Gwen on the shoulder. "Gwen-chan, we're going to go wander around. We'll meet back up with you again later, okay?" 

Gwen nodded absently, already chattering on to Banyon, who was already getting out his flute. Malik, Ishtar, and Hiro headed their own way to find Gwen something for her birthday, and just before they were swallowed by the crowd, Hiro had to grin at Gwen's request. 

"Play me Banish Misfortune!" 

-()-

"What do you _mean_ the Nile doesn't flood anymore?! The Nile _always_ floods in spring!" 

Shen chuckled at the nearly mortal spirit of the pharaoh. "Not anymore. They built the Aswan dam to stop it." 

"But- but _why_?" Yami asked, clearly aghast. "The floods brought fertilization to the entire Nile delta!" 

Shen and Yami, along with Shaadi and Priestess (who disliked being very far from either Yami or Shaadi) were down in the tomb, where they'd been all morning. Shen was copying the reliefs and beginning work on some of the translations, while Shaadi had begun photographing them. Already Isis was talking of publication, an entire book about the reign of Atemu, focusing on this tomb, the carved steles that she already had touring in the museum, and the tomb that Shaadi watched over. While the enigmatic man had yet to admit it openly, Yami suspected that the tomb Shaadi's family guarded, the one where he'd once taken Pegasus to look at the Kami no Kardo stele, was Atemu's tomb. That thought just made Yami shiver. He had no desire at all to look at his own mummy, which was why, he supposed, Shaadi hadn't excavated the tomb officially, even though he was an archaeologist. 

Shen just grinned and shook his head, amused at Yami's questions. This had been going on all morning, Yami questioning Shen and Shaadi about what had changed in Egypt in the days since his reign. The fact that Egypt was now a republic, and not a monarchy, had actually startled him into silence for quite awhile. Far from finding it annoying, however, Shen thought it was funny and was happy to answer Yami's questions. 

"Don't ask me," Shen shrugged, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he squinted at a particularly worn hieroglyph. "Any idea what that one is?" 

Yami glanced at it, and quickly took it in context. "'Sweet wine'. It's a scripture from the Book of Coming Forth By Day." [3] 

"Ah, thanks." Shen said, making a note in his sketchpad. While Shen was the linguist and knew how to read and write both hieroglyphs and hieratic, as well as ancient Hebrew and Greek, Yami was much quicker at deciphering and piecing together the texts on the walls. That was the main reason he was down here in the tomb, instead of helping Fate and Isis piece together pottery, or helping Soloman and Arthur sort through funerary equipment. 

Neither sarcophagus had been opened yet, and the canopic jars were still sitting on the shallow ledge that had been carved for them in one of the walls. In fact, all of them, Shen, Soloman, and Arthur included, were trying to think of ways to get around having to put the mummies on display. All of them felt it would be wrong to have Mahaado and Mana peered at through glass, like just another dead body. Yami and Fate, especially, felt very strongly that the mages not be moved from their tomb. 

Having run out of questions for the moment, Yami wandered into the burial chamber, sighing sadly as his thoughts turned gloomy. He respected Ryou's father, and Isis and Shaadi and Yugi's grandfather, and the Lady Fate, of course, but to him archaeology was still too much like grave robbing. Poking around in temples was fine, he could handle that. Even going into the tombs to copy scriptures, like Shen and Shaadi were doing now, was fine with him. But taking the goods meant for the deceased and then, the ultimate insult, removing the mummies from their resting places... that was just wrong. Yami would never get used to it. And more often than not, the mummies were just thrown into storage rooms, not even properly cared for while their grave goods and coffins were put on display. Far, far too many mummies rotted to nothing in forgotten museum attics.[4] 

Yami growled, running a hand through his bangs. The rest of his hair was flattened and tied down into a short tail at the nape of his neck. By the gods above... To their credit, though, Isis and the others _were_ fighting to keep Mahaado and Mana, at least, in their tomb. And as far as he knew, his own body still rested in his sarcophagus as well. Perhaps that was another reason Shaadi had never had it formally excavated... Neither Shaadi or Isis would ever stand to see their pharaoh's body moved from his tomb. Even Bakura would probably fight for that, now that he and Yami were friends... 

Yami snickered a little. Friends. Even two years ago, he would have thought it wouldn't be possible for him and Bakura to be friends. Quickly becoming best friends, in fact, although they still took every opportunity to jibe and tease each other. Thinking of Bakura brought Yami's thoughts to him and Ryou, in some other realm, if he'd heard Ryou's hints right. He wondered vaguely what they were doing, and sent a silent prayer to Horus that he protect them. Their jeep had been found abandoned near Kuru Eruna, and brought back to the dig. Fate knew where they were too, and seemed unconcerned, but surely she could hear the same whining buzz in her ears that Yami could. Something was wrong... 

Yami shook his head sharply. If something was wrong, no doubt Ryou and Bakura could fix it. They'd be fine. 

Footsteps echoing hollowly against the stone floor, Yami walked over to stand between the two sarcophagi, resting one hand gently on each. Inside these great oblong stones would be the coffins, probably richly jeweled, although that wasn't what Yami cared about in the least. He was tempted to heave aside the stone lids so he could get a look at their masks, but he quickly quelled the urge. The masks that covered the heads of the mummies would probably be wood, plated with silver or gold, but they would look like the people they covered, or they were at least supposed to. Yami wished he could look upon the faces of his friends again... 

He sighed and shook his head, stepping out from between them and turning away. Careful not to step into the holes that had been used to hold their staffs upright, he turned to face the canopic jars, trying not to feel sick as he thought about what lay in them. These jars were a beautiful set, obviously expensive and lovingly carved. Mahaado's were of dark obsidian, with shining green micah set in the eyes of the gods that the lids were carved to resemble. Unlike other sets Yami had seen in museums, these were not carved with the traditional heads of the Four Sons of Horus. One of Mahaado's jars was carved as Horus, another as Amun-Re, another as Khnum, and the last as Thoth. Protector, creator, fertile, and wise, whoever had carved the jars had known Mahaado well. 

Mana's set were no less beautiful, carved of white marble... no. Hers were ivory! Yami couldn't help but gape. Ivory was rare and expensive in Egypt. As pharaoh, he'd had a pair of knives with ivory handles, and those had been worth a small fortune! The eyes of her jars were set with blue lapis lazuli, and she, too, had a unique set of gods. Goddesses, actually. Sekhmet, Isis, Hathor, and Bastet. Fierce warrior, kind hearted, beautiful, and nurturing. Yes, whoever had done these had known Mana and Mahaado very well indeed. [5] 

Suddenly Yami blinked, a stray memory coming back to him. Teana carved small statues as a hobby... 

Yami sighed deeply, turning to leave before the memories and grief suffocated him. Rubbing his hands up and down his arms, though it was well over a hundred degrees in the tomb, he headed back for where Shen was probably in need of translation assistance again. 

Yami could only sincerely hope that Bakura and Ryou hauled ass and got back soon, before being in Egypt drove him utterly insane. 

-()-

It was a week or so after Johnny Depp's visit, and Tea was still carrying around the stuffed dog Jack like it was her first born. Amoura just rolled her eyes and tolerated her. Amoura's little brother, Julien, would be turning three in a few days, and Madame was already putting together a huge, almost gala event. 

"What's the big deal?" Tea asked Annalee as the two of them worked on cleaning one of the guest bedrooms. Madame had tried to keep her from helping, but the Japanese girl had insisted. Her French was good enough now that she could hold extended conversations with all three servants, and Valeraine. 

Annalee grinned. "Master Julien is the heir to the Letazaut fortune, of course. Madame is a bit of a fanatic about making sure all her nieces and nephews know that. After Master Corwine died, all his cousins started sniffing around looking for his inheritance. Madame nearly had a coronary." 

Tea blinked. "I don't understand... Amoura's a lot older than Julien. Shouldn't she be the heir?" 

Annalee gave her a strange look. "Miss Amoura is a girl. She can't be the heir. Oh, she has a nice tidy sum of money waiting for her when she turns 21, but she's not the main heir. That title always goes to the oldest son." 

"Oh." Tea frowned a little, unused to females being treated as lower than males. "But Madame is an heiress." 

"No, Madame is a widow." Annalee corrected as they tucked the corners of the blanket under the mattress. "Her late husband, Master Jesper, named her heir because she was his wife." She shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly why, but wives can be main heirs, but daughters can't." 

"Oh." Tea repeated. "So why are we getting all the extra rooms ready?" 

Annalee grinned. "Because all of Miss Amoura's aunts and uncles are coming into Paris for the party Madame's throwing in Master Julien's honor. And Miss Amoura's cousins, too. Some of them are arriving tonight, and the rest tomorrow morning." 

"Oh boy..." Tea said faintly. 

But it was the truth. When she asked Amoura about it later, the French girl didn't look happy, but she nodded and sighed. "Oui, mon cousins are coming to visit from Riems. And Tante Clarice from Belgium. And probably mon cousins from Lyon. And definitely zee ones zat live in Paris." 

Tea just stared at her. "How big is your family?!" 

Amoura sighed again. "Big. Grandpapa, zee one zat died, 'as three zizters, and a brother, and all of zem 'ave children and grandchildren." 

"And they're all coming here?!" 

Amoura shook her head. "Non, non, um..." She began counting family on her fingers. "Tante Clarice, Oncle Roy, Tante Sandrine and Oncle Christian, Tante Lena and Oncle Jean, and mon cousins, Charlotte, Sonya, Sally, Nick, and David." 

(Tante is French for aunt, oncle is French for uncle. ^^ Just thought I'd clear that up. :p) 

Tea's eyes widened. "Amoura, that's so many people!" 

"Actually, it is only 'alf of my family." Amoura said sheepishly. "Zee rest live too far away. Tante Clarice is Grandmama's younger sister, and Oncle Roy is 'er younger brother. Tante Clarice never got married, and Oncle Roy's wife died a few years ago. Tante Sandrine and Oncle Jean are Oncle Roy's children. Charlotte, Sonya, and Nick are Tante Sandrine's kidz, and Sally and David are Oncle Jean's. And... none of zem like me very much..." Amoura blushed, and Tea blinked. 

"What? Who couldn't like you, Amoura?" 

Amoura picked at the fuzz coming off her blanket and shrugged. "Grandpapa vas zee oldest of 'is brothers and zisters, and ven 'e died 'e left all 'is money to Grandmama, and papa vas zere only child. So Julien and I are going to inherit most, if not all, the Letazaut fortune. Mon cousins.... do not like zat." 

Tea blinked. "So the people you're calling 'aunt and uncle' are actually you dad's cousins?" 

Amoura shrugged and nodded. "It is eazier just to call zem tante and oncle." 

"It'll be all right," Tea assured her, seeing how down Amoura was looking. "I'll be here, so it's not like you'll be totally friendless." 

Amoura smiled at her. "Merci, Tea." 

Tea grinned. "You're welcome." 

-()-

"Please?" 

"No," 

"Pleeeeeease?" 

"No!" 

"Pleeeeeeeeeeease, hikari? I _promise_ I won't try to skewer the pharaoh or the tomb robber on it! Only rats! Please??" 

"I said no!!" 

Hiro sighed. This was not going as planned. They were supposed to be finding their way back to the jewelry booth Gwen had been at before, because she'd been fawning over a ring that had been too expensive for her to get. But they'd been side-tracked, because Ishtar had spotted a stall selling swords. Real ones. _Very_ real ones. 

"Ishtar! Put down that serrated edge this instant!" 

Hiro was getting a headache. "Would you two just come on?" 

"But... they're so nice and sharp! I can't just LEAVE them here!" 

Malik sighed. "Fine, you can get ONE. But NOT anything very big! And nothing Bakura would want. We don't want him stealing a sword, Ryou would have our heads. Damn! These things are so expensive!" 

"We're supposed to be shopping for..." Hiro stopped. Sitting right in front of him was the perfect birthday gift for Gwen. While Malik and Ishtar argued over whether or not Ishtar was allowed a dirk, Hiro quickly pointed out what he wanted to the stall attendant, who nodded and rang it up. He offered to have it wrapped, and Hiro nodded eagerly. Twenty minutes later, Ishtar had a long sword hanging from his belt, Malik had several new boot knives, Hiro had his present for Gwen wrapped in a piece of felt and hidden in his knapsack, which he'd brought because Gwen had warned him she planned to buy a lot. 

And all of them were flat broke. 

-()-

After letting Minako beat him at Dance Dance Revolution four times in a row, Duke managed to drag her and the other Sailor Senshi away from the arcade. Of course, they then started to gravitate toward the nearby ice cream parlor. Duke just sighed, silently swearing that he would _never_ understand teenage girls. 

Ten minutes later they were all sitting around a table slurping sundaes and shakes. Duke had even managed to buy a saucer of cream for the two cats. 

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow..." Makoto pouted, stabbing at her ice cream with her spoon. "It's not fair..." 

Duke laughed a little. "I only live an hour or two away. I can visit during breaks and stuff." 

"You'd better!" Rei said with mock severity. "You're not allowed to go another ten years without seeing me!" 

Duke laughed. "Okay, okay, I get the hint..." 

"Make sure the Child keeps in contact with us too," Artemis the cat said. To anyone "normal" his speech would just sound like a normal cat mewing. "We're fighting a common enemy." 

Duke nodded, slurping on his shake. He _still_ couldn't get used to the fact that these five young schoolgirls were working to rid the world of the same evil Ryou was constantly fighting. It was just mind blowing. "I will Artemis. Fate-sama can get in touch with you any time she wants, so that shouldn't be any trouble at all." 

They lapsed into silence for awhile, until quiet, soft-spoken, gentle Ami spoke up. "We're going to miss you, Duke-san." 

The others could only agree. 

-()-

Despite Tea's promise, things didn't go "all right" at all. All five of Amoura's second cousins arrived that night, and immediately ganged up against poor Amoura. David and Nick, the two boys, were only a year or so younger than her. Sonya was older, in her early twenties, while Sally and Charlotte were both around fifteen or sixteen. All five of them gathered around the couch where Amoura was sitting almost as soon as they came in the door. Tea was in the kitchen helping Annalee and Jacques, at the moment. 

"Hi Amoura!" Sonya cooed in a sickeningly cheerful voice, leaning over the back of the couch. "How's my favorite baby cousin?" 

"Buzz off Sonya..." Amoura muttered, staring resolutely at the book in her hands. 

"Awww, is that any way to treat your best friend?" 

"You are not, nor will you ever be my best friend, Sonya." Amoura said, keeping her face straight. "Go away." 

"Why should we?" Nick asked, leaning in on Amoura's other side with a wide, too-innocent grin. "You're so much fun to torment." 

"I said, go away." Amoura repeated, glaring at her cousin out of the corner of her eye. 

Nick mimed being shot in the heart and fell over. "You're so cruel, Amoura!" 

"No more than you..." Amoura muttered, mostly under her breath. 

"What're you reading?" 

Before Amoura could react, Charlotte had grabbed her book right out of her hands and was ruffling through it, David and Sally leaning in to look over each shoulder. After a moment Sally wrinkled her nose. "You're weird, Amoura. This isn't a book, it's just rows of funny symbols. Whoever wrote it must have been really dumb." 

Amoura's face heated up as she tried to twist around and reach over the back of the couch to get her book back. Charlotte just laughed at her and pulled it out of her reach. "It's mine! Give it back!" Amoura said, as firmly as she could manage. "And it's not 'funny symbols', it's Japanese kanji!" 

"Oooh, that's right!" David pretended to be interested and snatched the book away from Charlotte. "You're an exchange student! Perfect little missy Amoura!" 

"Stop!" Amoura nearly shouted. Where was Grandmama when she needed her? "Give me my book back! That was a present from Bakura!" 

"Bakura?" Sally asked slyly, and Amoura clamped her mouth shut. "Who's Bakura? Friend of yours...?" 

"He's my boyfriend, thank you very much." Amoura said hotly, trying to glare at all her cousins at once. "He gave me that book to read so I wouldn't be bored while I sat around waiting for my leg to heal." 

"So where is he nooow?" Sonya asked, looking around slyly like she expected Bakura to pop out of the woodwork. 

"In Egypt." Amoura said crisply, trying to reign in her temper. "He had some business to take care of, and he's going to meet me back at Tokyo U in a few days." 

Sonya sniffed. "I'll bet that's just what he wants you to think. You went and broke your leg, so he got bored, and I'll bet he's off with another woman!" 

"He is not!" Amoura shouted, her anger getting the better of her good sense. If only she wasn't bedded down with a broken leg she'd teach that idiot Sonya a few things! "Bakura is the kindest, most faithful man I could ever ask for, and I know he loves me! You're just jealous because no man would ever love something like _you_." 

"You little brat!" Sonya hissed, grabbing Amoura by the hair. "How dare you!" 

Amoura cried out in pain at her long green hair being yanked, and tried to twist out of her second cousin's grip. Sonya held firm, although Amoura managed to twist enough to get Sonya's wrist in her field of vision. Then she did the only thing she could.

Amoura bit her. 

Sonya screamed, letting go of Amoura and staring at her like she had rabies. The scream finally attracted the attention of the adults, and Madame, who knew about the animosity between Amoura and her cousins, shooed everyone except Amoura out of the livingroom and managed to rescue Amoura's book to boot. 

Once all the cousins were gone, Tea sauntered into the room from where she'd been watching at the door to the kitchen, a lop-sided grin on her face. She plopped down on the couch next to Amoura and put her arm around the other girl. "Amoura, I think you've been hanging around Bakura too long..." 

-()-

The boys found Gwen in front of one of the taverns, sitting at a round table with the busker from before and another man, as well as a woman. All four of them were engaged in a lively conversation, and Gwen laughed as her three friends came over. She turned to face them, grinning like a fool. "Come on," she said in Japanese (though Hiro noted she'd acquired a British accent from somewhere) "Sit down and have something to drink. Banyon said he'd play for us in a bit." 

The shorter of the two men smiled and nodded to them, lifting his mug in silent toast as they took seats. Gwen stood up and hollered at one of the "wenches" in English, and a moment later she came over. Gwen talked to her for a moment, and then the barmaid nodded and walked away. Grinning, Gwen took her seat again and said something to the woman, who smirked and nodded. 

A few minutes later the maid returned, balancing a tray with three mugs on it. Hiro had noticed that Gwen already had one, which was about half full, and vaguely wondered what it was the blond was drinking. As his drink was set in front of him, Hiro sniffed it, then took a cautious sip. "Ychh... Gwen, is this alcoholic?" 

The American blinked at him, as if to say 'well _duh_.' Hiro frowned and pushed his mug away. He glanced at Gwen's drink again, and was relieved to see that she had been too busy talking to drink any more. She didn't seem to be tipsy or anything, but a drunk Gwen trying to drive home was the _last_ thing they needed. Not to mention the fact that technically all four of them were underage. Banyon or one of his two friends must have ordered Gwen's drink. 

Gwen giggled at something the tall blond guy with the green eyes had said, and Hiro frowned a little in jealousy, wishing he knew more English. A moment later such thoughts were put out of his mind as Gwen turned to face him, eyes sparkling in mischief. "Hiro-kun, do you dance?" she asked him quietly. 

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "Huh-uh! No way!" 

Gwen grinned. "I'll make a bet with you." she said. "If I can get Malik to two-step with me, then you'll dance with me. Deal?" 

Hiro frowned a little. Getting Malik to dance was about like getting an elephant to say 'excuse me' after it sneezed. He grinned. "Deal. And if you _can't_ get Malik to dance, I get to drive home." 

Gwen pouted a little, but sighed and nodded. A moment later her grin was back. "Bethie and I are going to have some fun first, then I'll try and coax Malik into dancing with me." she decided. She then turned to the three rennies, and started speaking English again. The tall blond guy laughed, and Banyon grinned. The woman, Bethie, grinned too, and nodded. She and Gwen stood up and went toward one of the long tables that was set up in the center of the courtyard. The supper rush hadn't quite started, so one of them was still completely clear. Banyon turned around in his seat, already fitting his flute together as the blond readied his drum. 

"The Galway Piper fading into The Girl I Left Behind Me fading into Banish Misfortune!" Gwen called out in English as she and Beth climbed up onto the table. Hiro's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Oh no... They _weren't_... 

They were. As soon as the lively tune sprang out of Banyon's flute, the two women began to two-step on the table, laughing and shouting and generally making fools of themselves. The tavern's few customers and people passing by on the paths stopped to stare, and Hiro hid his face in his hands. Malik choked, and Ishtar sputtered, coughing as he inhaled his drink. 

Gwen and Beth laughed, having the time of their lives as they kicked up their heels to the lively Celtic tune Banyon was playing. Gwen's shawl was jingling madly, playing a rowdy counter-tune to Banyon's flute. Although Hiro was staring at them like they had two heads, after the initial surprise wore off, Malik started clapping his hands to the beat. Ishtar, who was already on his second mug of ale, was grinning and yelling lecherous suggestions to the girls in Japanese, and dodging whacks from Hiro or Malik every now and then. Vaguely, Hiro wondered if they should relieve him of his new sword. 

Gwen just laughed, and at one point, as she and Beth neared the opposite end of the table, there was a wooden mug sitting forlornly on the edge of the table. Letting go of Beth's hand briefly, the blond danced ahead. Spinning wildly, her skirts flaring up around her, she hit the mug with the toe of her boot and sent it flying directly into Ishtar's face, making him yelp in pain. She never missed a step in the dance, and swung back around to partner Beth again as the audience clapped and hollered in appreciation. 

As they'd climbed up onto the table, Beth had thrown down a tattered hat at one end of the table. Now the passing people had mostly stopped to watch, and a lot of them were throwing coins into the hat! Hiro blinked, not having expected that. These people actually thought two women dancing on a tabletop were good entertainment? Well, they _were_ pretty good... And this _was_ a ren faire... 

"Malik!" Gwen called from the table, out of breath and panting, although she was still dancing. "Beth's getting tired, so come dance with me!" 

Malik's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and he held his hands up defensively. "Oooh no, you are _not_ getting me up there! Besides, I don't know how!" 

Gwen blew a raspberry at him. "Nonsense! Come on, if I can do it, surely you can do it! They don't call it a two-step for nothing." 

Malik frowned. She had a good point. "No." he said, stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest. "No way in seven hells." 

Gwen actually looked disappointed, but Hiro wondered how much of that was acting and how much of that was real. "Aw, all right then... Ishtar, dance with me!" 

Ishtar, who'd been drinking steadily, gave a lecherous grin and tried to stand up, decidedly _un_steadily. "You bet!" 

Malik twitched a little. Awww hell... He couldn't let Ishtar dance with her. Cursing Gwen's cleverness and his own gentlemanly instincts, Malik pounded Ishtar into the ground and then walked toward the table. The crowd cheered, seeing a new partner come up, and Beth hopped off the table as Banyon finished the song with a flourish. Gwen, her chest heaving and eyes bright as she tried to catch her breath, held out a hand to help Malik up. "Thanks Malik! You've just made Hiro lose a bet!" She grinned, and Malik blinked, looking back to where Hiro was repeatedly pounding his head against the table. 

Beth had gone to join her friends, and had picked up a guitar. Gwen seemed to be thinking, as she and Malik stood on the table and the crowd waited for whatever may come. "Tamlin's Reel into Celtic Angels, and finish with the Loreena McKennitt set you guys were playing earlier." she called in English. Banyon, Beth, and the blond guy nodded, and immediately began to play. 

Before Malik even had the chance to yelp, Gwen had grabbed his hands and was spinning him down the length of the table. For a moment he panicked, before his feet caught the rhythm of the song. It really wasn't as hard as it looked, you just let the music carry you along. Grabbing Gwen around the waist, he spun her, much to the delight of the crowd. She laughed and clutched onto him, spinning him in return. Soon the world beyond their table was just a whirl of breathless color as they spun, faster and faster, heels kicking to the music of flute and guitar. 

Suddenly, the music changed, and Malik slid to a halt near the end of the table, blinking in surprise. Now the music was almost a lament, and Beth was singing in a clear, strong alto voice. Malik didn't understand the English words, but for some reason Gwen looked a little sad. As quickly as that expression had come, it vanished, and she grinned at him, holding out her hand. "Dance with me?" 

Malik shrugged and glanced over at Hiro. Deciding the Japanese man couldn't turn any greener than he already was, Malik put one arm around Gwen's waist as the two began to turn in a much slower dance, but one that was no less lively. Malik's senses told him that this wasn't a love song, exactly, just a slow one. 

"Sudd'nly I knew, you'd have to go,  
Your world was not mine, your eyes told me so.  
Yet it was there I felt the crossroads of time  
And I wondered why..." 

From there the song picked up speed a little, and launched into a ballad that even Malik recognized, as many times as he'd heard Gwen play the CD. Gwen grinned and sang along with Beth, and as they whirled Malik noticed that the other long table had been pushed back, and some of the passers-by were dancing in couples, now. Ishtar seemed to be looking for a girl he could latch onto, so Malik figured that before too long he'd have to get away from Gwen and give his yami a few lumps with the Rod. 

"_Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!_ Had they heard it? The horse's hooves ring clear.  
_Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!_ In the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?  
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,  
The highwayman came riding,  
Riding,  
Riding,  
The redcoats looked to their priming,  
She stood up straight and still..." 

Gwen's favorite ballad came to an end, and she grinned and winked at Malik before hopping off the table to go find Hiro and drag him onto the dancefloor. She wasn't so mean as to make him dance on the table like she had with Malik. 

Banyon, Beth, and the blond started up the next tune, and Malik started in surprise. This music wasn't quite Celtic... It sounded almost Arabic. Standing stone still, up on the table, he cocked an ear to listen. Yes, definitely Arabic. Though the words weren't ones he could understand, the music sang to him of horses and sweat, sand and sun and Bedouin campfires. Closing his eyes, the ren faire and English garb seemed to drift away, replaced by Muslim robes and sand and grit. Slowly at first, and then picking up speed as the music did, Malik began to dance. This dance was a solo, one that no one there had ever seen before. It was a dance that spoke of home far away, of home missed and longed for. Everyone who'd been dancing stopped to watch him, and it was all Beth and Banyon could do to force themselves not to let the music trail off as they, too, watched. 

"There are visions, there are memories,  
There's the echoes of thundering hooves.  
There are fires, there is laughter,  
There's the sound of a thousand doves.

Ride on, through the night, ride on.  
Ride on, through the night, ride on." [6] 

But all too soon the song came to an end. Instead of going on and playing the last song of the set, the bards let the music fade. There was a moment of silence, and then someone began to applaud Malik's impromptu dance. The clapping spread, and Malik's eyes snapped open as coins almost poured into the hat sitting almost at his feet. He blushed deeply and scrambled off the table, only to be met with hearty back-slaps and cheerful complements he barely understood. 

After a minute or so, Gwen managed to fight her way through the crowd, Hiro in tow. Banyon had started up another reel, something really worth dancing to, and the crowd was beginning to pair off again. Beth got grabbed by the tall blond, and was pulled away laughing, although Banyon was more than capable of playing by himself. 

"That was fantastic!" Gwen cheered. "And you told me you didn't know how to dance!" 

Malik scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, well, that wasn't really a dance. I was just moving how the music told me to. What was that song?" 

"What, the last one? _Night Ride Across the Caucasus_, by Loreena McKennitt. Honestly though Malik, you were amazing!" 

Apparently a lot of other people thought so too. A moment later he was snagged away by a duo of giggling dark-haired Gypsy girls, who whirled him onto the dance floor and wouldn't let him get away for several sets. By the time he finally stumbled back to the table, the supper crowd was beginning to thin and the clock was approaching 7:30. 

Malik plopped into a seat, grabbing the nearest mug and drinking it down, not caring whose it was or what it contained. "Ugh... I never want to do that again..." 

"Well, the Gypsies are your people, aren't they?" Hiro asked curiously. He'd managed to disentangle himself from Gwen awhile ago, and was now sitting at the table while Gwen danced with the tall blond, who she called Kory. 

Malik made a face. "Sort of. Most Gypsies are descended from Egyptians or Arabs, but they're so far removed now they may as well be considered a separate people." He blinked and looked around. "Uuuuh... Where's Ishtar?" 

A sudden scream from the dance floor made the answer very clear. 

Hiro sweatdropped. "Oh shit..." 

Gwen broke off from Kory and pushed her way over, eyes wide. "Was that-?" 

Just then Ishtar came stumbling through the crowd, more than a little drunk and with a bright red hand print across one cheek. "...Ow." 

"We should go," Gwen sighed, and turned to Banyon, saying something to him in English. He smiled and nodded, but then seemed to think of something and held up a hand to forestall her. The hat had been moved from the long table to this one, and was now almost over flowing. Bayon scooped out a double handful of the contents and offered it to Gwen. She blinked, looking shocked, as there was probably a good hundred dollars there, but took it. 

"We haven't gotten that much money from busking in a long time." Banyon said in English, winking at her. "Thanks." 

"No problem." Gwen grinned, pocketing the cash and waving to Beth and Kory, who were dancing again. "Maybe I'll see you next year." 

Banyon nodded and grinned at Ishtar, who was being dragged away by Hiro and Malik. "No bringing him, okay?" 

Gwen laughed. "Definitely not." Giving him one last wave, she turned and followed the boys toward the car. 

~*~

[1] =3 Can YOU guess why Seto has those particular animals in his soulroom? ^_~ Dun worry, I don't expect any of you will guess right. You'll find out a lot more about Seto, his past, and his future in the next story. :p So all you Seto fans stay tuned for _Yamis of Tokyo U: Sophomore_! 

[2] Sheebeg Sheemore is a really, really sad song about a feud between two elf clans. Fiddler Girl and The Skull Hill Ghost are two names for the same song, and it comes from a book. Can anyone name it? 

[3] Book of Coming Forth By Day - that's the ancient Egyptian name for what we know as the Book of the Dead. 

[4] I'm sorry to have gone off into a bit of a rant there, but sadly enough that is all too true. I have mixed feelings about archaeology, and Yami's thoughts in those couple paragraphs are pretty much mine too. 

[5] Canopic jars are just that, jars with lids carved to look like the Four Sons of Horus. There are four per person, and hold their internal organs, although I forget which ones go in which jar. Some of them, the heart chiefly, were left inside the body (because the Egyptians believed the heart to be the center of thought, not the brain). 

[6] The first song bit was from _The Old Ways_, the second was from _The Highwayman_, and the third was, as mentioned, from _Night Ride Across the Caucasus_. All three are by Loreena McKennitt. ^^ _Night Ride_ is my current favorite out of all her songs I've heard so far, though _The Old Ways_ and _The Highwayman_ are close behind. :D I tend to fluctuate between those three on which my "favorite song" is. 

()()()()() 

WSJ: *grin* If anyone can find the three book characters that make cameos in this chapter, can give me the book(s) they come from, the author, and the characters' full names... You're amazing. :D Seriously though, see if you can spot them. ^_~ If anyone can name the book Fiddler Girl/The Skull Hill Ghost comes from, you are also amazing. (Bonus points: Why didn't Gwen request Sheebeg Sheemore from Banyon?) 

Bakura: *grins and gives Ryou a noogie* Guess whose birthday it is! 

Ryou: *gets annoyed and telepathically tosses him off* Mine. Yay. 

WSJ: *grins* Aww, don't be so sour Ry-chan! There's only one chapter left to go! 

Ryou: *brightens* Oh hey, that is good news! 

WSJ:...But then we start on Yamis of Tokyo U again. 

Ryou: Aww... 

Bakura: So stay tuned minna! The last chapter will be posted September 16th! 

WSJ: Until then! 

Ryou: *smiles oh so uber-kawaii-ly* Make me happy and leave me reviews for my birthday! 

All three: Ja ne! 

**Chapter 18:** WSJ: (V/O) The end is near, my friend! 

Bakura: *grin* Well, we're back! 

Ryou: *makes a face* And sunburned. 

WSJ: (V/O) Home is near, but we've still got a few things to get through. 

Hiro: Happy birthday Gwen. 

Amoura: Julien, come here. I have something for you. 

WSJ: (V/O) And we may just have a surprise or two in store... 

Sekil: ^_~ Remember me, minna? 

Yugi: Yami, there's something different about you... 

WSJ: (V/O) All this and more, next time! 

God bless minna-san! 


	18. Home Sweet Home

WSJ: Yeah, short, but what the hey, it's the last chapter. *shrug* 

Ryou & Bakura: Whoo hoo! 

WSJ: *rolls her eyes* And yes, I'm posting this early, because Ebony would not stop bugging me. And after all, today is her birthday... So happy B-day Ebony! Chapter 1 of Sophomore will be up on Thursday. 

Alright, as to last chapter's cameos, a few of you got them! ^^ Good job! Fiddler Girl/The Skull Hill Ghost is from the Free Bards series by Mercedes Lackey, the first book being _The Lark and the Wren_. Eric Banyon, Beth Kentraine, and Kory are from the Bedlam's Bard series, also by Mercedes Lacky, the first book being _Knight of Ghosts and Shadows_. And Gwen didn't request Sheebeg Sheemore from Banyon because Kory's an elf. :p Song about an elf-war would not go over well. 

Heh heh heh. As for Seto's stuffed animals, you'll just have to wait and see. But no, the rabbit disappearing had nothing to do with Funny Bunny. It was still there even after the Pegasus stuff (he didn't even _have_ a soulroom until after the Pegasus stuff, remember?). Plus, working with Pegasus in the Shadow Realm during VotH probably cured him of any bunny phobia he had. ^_~ The rabbit just now disappeared, when Mokuba got Obelisk. I will give you a hint, though: each of the stuffed animals represents some_one_, not some_thing_, and Nachez-chan was close when she guessed the cat was from Egypt-times. :p Keep thinking ya'll, and stay tuned! 

As for just what, exactly, Hiro bought for Gwen.... keep reading! ^^ 

Disclaimer: Ugh... Do I have to? Go reread the previous 17 chapters, okay minna? 

()()()()() 

Home Sweet Home 

Chapter 18 - Home Sweet Home 

_Quote of the chapter:_

"I love my posters, but do you have any idea how unnerving it is having Seto Kaiba and Yami Yugi staring at you with those determined scowls of theirs while you change clothes?"  
~(Me :p) 

When Gwen walked into the house, she was immediately confronted by her entire family and a good deal of her friends jumping out from behind various pieces of furniture and shouting "Happy birthday!!!" at the top of their lungs. Gwen blinked, blinked again, and then broke out into a wide grin. Behind her Malik and Hiro were dragging Ishtar into the house. Malik groaned upon seeing the party, and promptly hustled Ishtar downstairs and locked him into the basement bathroom, and took his sword upstairs to their room. No need for him to ruin Gwen's party, especially if there was more alcohol around. 

The livingroom was decorated with streamers and balloons, and it seemed that every single chair in the house had been drug in to provide seating. Gwen was led to the place of honor in her father's big old recliner, and people began dumping presents in her lap. Hiro just stood back and watched, suddenly wondering if his measly little present was nearly good enough for her. She didn't seem to notice his gaze as she laughed and hugged one of her old high school friends, who'd apparently gotten her several fiery Duel Monsters cards of considerable rarity. Hiro felt a flash of jealousy, but quickly beat it down. It wasn't as if they'd ever _officially_ dated, or anything... 

Music started up suddenly from the back of the room, and Hiro blinked. He turned to see where it was coming from and nearly groaned. Leave it to Gwen's family to rent a kareoke set-up. Or maybe the owned it, who knew? Currently Gwen's sister Kris was singing some American pop song. An idea began to form in Hiro's mind, and he quickly snatched one of the books and began to flip through it. 

"I called you up without any advance notice 'coz the weather was nice   
And you stood me up. Who do you think you are?!   
I know you chased after me --- I deserve more than that!" 

Gwen's head snapped up to stare at Hiro. The Japanese man was standing on stage, leaning into the microphone and singing his heart out, his eyes locked on hers. The song he sang was in Japanese, so there were only a handful of people who could understand it. Malik choked on his drink, Josh's jaw dropped, and Gwen's father just smiled knowingly. The song was originally written to be sung by a girl, but Gwen understood. 

"Just Love! God, I hate him!   
I'm mean to you --- only because I have a crush on you…   
Just Love! 'Coz I'm very attracted to you   
I always say impossible things to you --- I guess… I'm sorry…   
…Just Love…" 

Gwen could only stare, wondering if Hiro had completely lost his mind. Mechanically, she set aside the presents that were piled on her lap and stood up, walking toward where Hiro was standing on stage. 

"Today, I ran from your arms as you were taking me to dinner   
Starving, I went home to wait for a souvenir   
How could I, being so naïve, defy you? Now it hurts to meet your gaze! 

"Just Love! Because only a little of   
the brightness in my eyes remains, I'll never forgive you!   
Just Love! Because what I keep in my heart   
Shouldn't taste so bitter, should it…?" 

Gwen was only a few feet from the stage now, Hiro standing just above her on the temporary platform. Vaguely, Gwen wondered if she should hit him. They didn't fight nearly as much as the song implied! Well, okay, maybe a little bit. 

" …Just Love…   
Just Love! God, I hate him!   
I'm mean to you --- only because I have a crush on you…   
Just Love! 'Coz I'm very attracted to you   
I always say impossible things to you --- I guess… I'm sorry… 

"…Just Love…" 

The last of the music faded away, and Hiro let the microphone drop from his hand. He kneeled down on the stage so he and Gwen were face to face, his eyes silently begging Gwen for her answer. 

Smirking a little, Gwen grabbed him roughly by the shirt and pulled him forward, catching his mouth with hers. 

The rest of the party guests politely averted their eyes. 

(The song is _Just Love_ from Gundam Wing. I found the English translation somewhere online, I forget exactly where.) 

-()-

"G'morning sissy!" 

Amoura smiled as her little brother toddled into the room, holding out his arms to her. Since last night her cousins had mostly left her alone, on pain of death from Grandmama and Tea. 

Grinning, Amoura picked up Julien and set him in her lap, giving him a hug. "Happy birthday Julien." 

Julien giggled, wrapping his arms around her neck. "I'm fwee now, 'Moura!" he said happily, holding up four fingers. 

Amoura smiled. "Yes you are, you little rascal. Guess what?" 

"What?" he asked, his eyes getting big. 

"I have a present for you." Amoura answered, reaching over to pick up the little wrapped present that was sitting beside the couch. "Remember the game that Grandmama and Yami and Yugi and Bakura and I play?" 

Julien nodded excitedly. "Duel Monstwas! It's tho cool!!" 

Amoura grinned and handed him the package. "Happy birthday." 

Julien tore into the wrapping paper in a way only three-year-olds can, and squealed happily. Inside was a Dark Magician plushie and a small card binder. "Awesome!!" 

"There's already two cards inside." Amoura told him, smiling. "One from me, and one from Bakura. Tea, Yugi, and Yami got you presents too, but you'll get to open them later, at your regular party." 

Julien opened the binder, staring in wonder at the two shiny foil cards inside the protective plastic pages. One of them, Brain Control, was in French. The other one, a smiling Change of Heart, was in Japanese. He hugged his sister again, burying his face in her shirt. "I wove you, 'Moura." 

Amoura smiled softly, hugging him in return. "I love you too, Julien." 

-()-

It had been a week since Ryou and Bakura had left, and Yami was really beginning to get worried. Whenever he asked Fate if she could see them, if she knew they were all right, the goddess only chuckled and told him to be patient. 

As this day dawned, Yami found himself wide awake and sitting outside Ryou's tent, which he was temporarily using as his own. The sunrise was beautiful, but suddenly his eyes were drawn away from it as he blinked in surprise. About ten yards away, the sand was beginning to shimmer. It looked almost like a heat mirage, or Shaadi using one of his transportation spells. 

An instant later, Fate was standing in the midst of the shimmer, one hand each on the shoulders of Ryou and Bakura. Yami jumped to his feet as Bakura yawned, and Ryou sagged against his brother, looking tired. "Why the hell have you been gone so long?!" 

Fate grinned and backed away from the boys, giving them privacy to talk as she wandered off to find Shen. 

Bakura shot Yami a harsh look, taking Ryou by the shoulders and gently propelling him toward the tent. "In a minute pharaoh, Unmei needs to sit down before he falls over." 

Yami blinked as Ryou giggled weakly. "'S not Unmei now, niisan." 

Bakura sweatdropped. "Right. Must remember that. Drat! I just got used to calling you Unmei and now we have to switch back to Ryou." He made a face as Ryou sank down on his cot, and Bakura flopped down next to him. Still blinking, Yami took a seat on a nearby camp chair. 

"You guys have a lot of explaining to do..." 

Bakura made a face. "I know. Yeesh, where to begin..." 

"How about with 'Unmei'?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Bakura shrugged. "As good a place as any. You know about alternate realms, right pharaoh?" Yami's eye roll was all the answer he needed, and he continued. "Well, Fate dumped us off in True Realm Ryou's front yard. True Realm is a realm that shares our past, but is still different." 

"You mean..." 

Bakura nodded, letting Ryou lean against his shoulder. "Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, bastard Bakura, meek little Ryou." 

Ryou giggled a little. "Ryou's not _that_ bad..." 

Bakura just rolled his eyes. "_Any_way, we found out that another realm, the Negative Realm, was already involved too. The NR Yami, Ryou, and Bakura were already around, as well as True Realm Ryou and Bakura, Yami and Yugi, Malik and Joey. So since there were three versions of some of us around, we took nicknames to tell each other apart. The Negative Yami is Nozomi, and that Ryou and Bakura go by Kawari and Kaeru. Ryou and I went by Unmei and Chiot." 

Yami snickered. "You're Amoura's petit chien!" Bakura growled, and Ryou burst out laughing. 

"So what happened?" Yami asked, once the telepath had settled down a little. "You're as red as the sunset, Ryou!" 

Ryou sighed and made a face. "Hai. Egyptian sun will do that to you. Let's see..." He began ticking things off on his fingers. "Showed up in TR Ryou's front yard, went inside and had intros, got pissed off at TR Bakura and started throwing flower pots at him, had supper, went to sleep, woke up with nightmares, went back to sleep again, got up at the ungodly hour of six a.m., had breakfast, flew to Egypt, stood around and got sunburned while TR Bakura got his butt kicked by Kawari, drove out to a dig, met Pegasus, found out that at least two other me's are adopted, got more sunburned, went into a Ra-damned tomb, met a telepath who also happens to be half the TR Mahaado, tried not to kill off the _other_ half of the TR Mahaado, went into a Ra-damned temple, fought the Hand of Shadow, attempted to Mind Crush Ishtar, helped kill off said Ishtar and an evil sorceress, saved several worlds, resurrected Mokuba from the dead, came home. I think that about covers it, ne?" 

Bakura grinned at the stunned expression on Yami's face. "It's a looong story, palace brat." 

"I think so..." Yami said faintly, blinking. "Hold on, you were only there two days?" Both the Bakuras nodded, and Yami blinked again. "But... but here you've been gone a week!" 

Ryou looked thoughtful. "If time somehow moves faster here... Maybe that's why Ryou and Kawari are so much younger than me, Bakura." he said. "Maybe time moves faster in Fates Realm than it does in the True or Negative Realms." 

Bakura shrugged. "That explanation is as good as any other." He caught Yami's expression and chuckled. "Don't worry Yami, we'll fill you in eventually. On the plane home, perhaps." 

"Home..." Ryou grinned. "When I get home, my aloe plant is losing all its leaves." 

Yami and Bakura attempted without much success to muffle their laughter, and Bakura patted Ryou gingerly on the back of the head, possibly the only place he wasn't burned. "Help us pack first, aibou. There will be plenty of time to sleep on the plane." 

-()-

"Amoura," 

Amoura looked up from her book. "Yes Grandmama?" 

Madame came over and sat on the edge of her couch. "I just got a call from your doctor. He doesn't think it's wise for you to travel with your leg. It looks like you'll be staying in France for the first quarter, at least, if not the first semester of school." 

Amoura looked shocked, then frowned. "No. I won't. I'm going back to Japan with Tea, just like we planned." 

Madame sighed. "Amoura-" 

"No!" Amoura repeated firmly, frowning at her grandmother. "I promised Bakura-kun I'd see him when school started up. If you make me stay here, chances are he'll be here too, within the week." 

Madame sighed again, but a mischievous glint lit her eyes. "I suppose you're right. I _thought_ the doctors were over-exagerating the nature of your injury." 

Amoura grinned and threw her arms around Madame. "Grandmama, you're the best!" 

Madame smiled smugly, chuckling. "I know." 

-()-

Duke was up early the next morning, packing his bags and saying good-bye to his grandfather. Rei walked down the shrine steps to wait with him at the bus stop. His bus was just pulling in and the cousins were saying their good-byes when someone shouted Duke's name. Turning, he was just in time to catch Minako as she practically threw herself into his arms. 

"Sorry, sorry," she panted. "I was afraid you were going to leave before I got a chance to say good-bye." 

Duke chuckled and gave her a hug. "I'll be back soon. Maybe I'll come down for winter break, or something." 

Minako nodded and grinned, then stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. He hugged her against him instinctively, but broke the kiss a moment sooner than Mina would have liked. Duke must have seen the pout on her face, because he smiled and kissed her nose. "We're kinda far apart to be more than friends, Mina-chan." 

Minako sighed, looking down. "I know..." 

Duke tilted her chin up and smiled at her. "'Sides, I wouldn't want to be called a cradle robber, or anything." Minako giggled. "There! That's what I like to see. I'll see you in a few weeks, Minako." he said, hugging her again and then turning to get on the bus, waving one last time at Rei. 

As the bus pulled away, Minako sighed and Rei gave her a pitying look. "You know Makoto's going to kill you if she ever found out you did that, right?" 

Mina giggled. "Yeah, I know." 

-()-

The party wrapped up around midnight, and the guests began to go home. Ishtar was still locked in the bathroom, because Gwen didn't feel like having to clean the rest of the house if they let him out. Gwen was tired, but happy. Not only had she officially gotten herself a boyfriend (finally!), but within the week they were going to be flying back to Tokyo. It was great getting to see her family and surf again, but Gwen missed Tea and Amoura. 

"Gwen-chan?" 

Gwen looked up to see Hiro standing in front of her, looking nervous. She blinked and patted the couch next to her. He sat down, still not meeting her eyes. "This is for you." He held out a long, thin bundle wrapped in tawny felt. "I'm sorry it's not wrapped very well, but I only got it today." 

Gwen smiled. "So that's where you three went. I was wondering where Malik had been able to find that ring I wanted." She took the bundle from him, her eyes widening a little as she felt how heavy it was. She gave him a questioning look, but Hiro just shook his head and gestured for her to unwrap it. 

Pulling aside the folds of felt, Gwen bit back a gasp of delight. Laying against the tawny material was a beautiful knife, dark red scabbard and silver hilt. Laying it across her knees, Gwen drew the blade, marveling at the delicate scrollwork across the steel. "Hiro, it's beautiful. It must have cost a fortune!" 

Hiro's face relaxed into a smile and he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Anything for you, koibito." 

Quickly Gwen resheathed the knife so they wouldn't accidentally impale themselves as they became very busy indeed. 

-()-

It's the same room again, but the torches are already lit. The girl seems to have recovered from whatever illness ailed her, and is packing a suitcase that lays across the bed. Her blond hair is pulled back from her face, and she seems cheerful. She looks up as one of her older brothers, the white-haired Sekil, enters the room. 

"Are you ready to leave, Arca?" he asks. 

The girl, Arca, nods and closes her suitcase. "Sure. I still can't believe you got Lark to agree to this." 

Sekil chuckles. "It wasn't a matter of _me_ doing the convincing." 

The purple-haired Lark enters, then, dragging three suitcases along with him. Sekil takes one and smiles at him, to which Lark only snorts. The three siblings turn to face what seems to be a blank wall, and Sekil speaks a silent word. A moment later the wall seems to draw back until a shimmering portal appears in its place. A woman with blond hair and angel-devil wings steps out. All three bow to her, and she smiles. 

"I thank you," Fate says. "Balance is a very tricky thing, and I thank you for helping us get the time to fix it." 

"It is no problem, Lady Fate," Sekil says formally. "This should be a very... enjoyable experience for us. Or a very eventful one, at any rate." 

Fate smiles. "Everything is ready for your arrival. False histories and school records, birth certificates, and anything else you may need. This portal will put you through behind the registration building. A green 2001 Mitsubishi is waiting in the parking lot for you." The goddess tosses Sekil a ring of keys. "Though you'll have to find an apartment on your own. A bank account is set up for you, with a small amount of money, at least enough to get you started." She hands him a wallet with several cards, including a Japanese driver's license, in it. 

Sekil smiles and bows deeply again. "I do not deserve any of this." 

"Of course not," Fate says. "But my son wishes to see you again, and this way the balance will be even for awhile while I try to fix it. Good luck." 

Sekil smiles and nods, and he and his siblings pick up their luggage and disappear into the portal. Fate looks around the lonely room for a moment, before she follows them. Just as she reaches the portal, she waves her hand and the torches go out, leaving the room empty and dark. 

-()-

"Yugi!" 

Yugi turned in his seat, and his face lit up. Yami was waving at him from across the terminal, Ryou and Bakura behind him. All three were dragging their carry-on luggage, and seemed tired. They were all tan, though in poor Ryou's case patches of sunburn could still be seen. Yugi jumped to his feet and vaulted over the bank of chairs in his way. 

"Yami!" Yugi raced toward the trio, vaguely aware of Serenity at his heels. The two of them had come to meet the trio from Egypt at the airport and were going to play escort back to Domino. Ryou, Bakura, and Yami were the last ones coming home, and school started in less then a week. 

Serenity and Yugi practically flew across the airport terminal. Serenity launched herself into Ryou's arms, and Yugi just about knocked his brother over with a tackle hug. 

"I missed you, otouto," Yami murmured into Yugi's hair, hugging the boy against him. Though Yugi was almost taller than his Yami, his hug had knocked the pharaoh over so he was half-sitting on Bakura's suitcase, with Yugi pressed up against his chest. "I have so much to tell you." 

Yugi could say nothing in return, but his eyes were flooded with sudden tears of joy. His cheek was pressed up against Yami's chest as he hugged his big brother tightly, and he could feel the pharaoh's heartbeat. 

Home Sweet Home Owari

()()()()() 

WSJ: OI!!! It is finished!!! *keels over* 

Bakura: *snickers* About time, too. Stay tuned minna, chapter 1 of YoTU:S goes up on Thursday. 

Ryou: Until then, we may as well give you a bit of a sneak peek, eh? 

_The Yamis of Tokyo U: Sophomore_

Ryou: So much can happen in just one school year. 

Bakura: New friends, 

Ryou: You won't _believe_ who my roommate is. 

Bakura: New enemies, 

Ryou: What is up with the minions of the True Pharaoh appearing as Duel Monsters, anyway? 

Bakura: New romance, 

Ryou: And old romance getting better. *grin* 

Bakura: New pain. 

Ryou: Ugh... Falling off a building hurts... 

Bakura: Death and rebirth, 

Ryou: Someone dies, minna. Someone dies and _stays dead_. 

Bakura: Hope and faith, 

Ryou: And reincarnation. Mustn't forget reincarnation. 

Bakura: Repentance and sorrow. 

Ryou: You'll never imagine what happens to Seto-kun. 

Bakura & Ryou: All this and more, in _Yamis of Tokyo U: Sophomore_!! 

God bless minna-san! 


End file.
